Harry Potter and the Enemy's Revenge
by leiselmae
Summary: Harry and his friends return for their sixth year at Hogwarts. New relationships develop out of old ones, new experiences create lasting bonds, and lessons are learned that will force Harry to reevaluate both his friends and his enemies. Complete! 25Chaps
1. Coming Home

**Chapter One: Coming home **

Harry stared out the window of Uncle Vernon's car as they drove from Kings Cross Station to Little Whinging. No one said a word through the whole of the trip until they began to make their way up Privet Drive to number four.

"Straight to your room when we get in, boy, and no funny business. Write to your friends first thing." Uncle Vernon hissed as they approached the house.

But Harry's attention had been caught by something else.

"Aunt Petunia," he began, "don't you usually leave the light on in the entry way?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" she wondered.

"Because it's not on and my scar is burning something fierce right now." Harry stated more to himself than anyone. The Dursleys were just beginning to open their car doors.

"We don't bloody care about that accursed scar of yours…"Uncle Vernon began, but Harry cut him off.

"I don't think we should go in there!" Harry exclaimed emphatically. The alarm in his voice seemed to catch Aunt Petunia's attention. They all stopped where they were and looked at Harry as Aunt Petunia spoke.

"What is it, Harry?" Harry was briefly shocked that Aunt Petunia had called him by name, not to mention she was actually asking him what was wrong as though she cared about the answer. But his thoughts were cut off as a streak of red light flew over the lawn causing Harry to shout, "EVERYONE GET DOWN!" The amazing thing is that they all did as they were told, even Dudley.

"What…who…wh…," Uncle Vernon sputtered.

"GET BACK IN THE CAR AND MAKE A RUN FOR IT!" Harry ordered them. They got in and backed out of the drive leaving Harry standing on the lawn. Harry drew his wand and cast several spells into the house, but they all bounced back at him and he was forced to duck his own spells. Just then, Harry heard a crunching noise behind him and turned to see that Uncle Vernon was driving the car up onto the lawn.

"Get in boy!" he spat. Harry didn't need telling twice. He hopped into the backseat where his owl, Hedwig, still sat in her cage. Vernon sped off down the street at break-neck speed, but Harry knew no muggle car would be able to go fast enough to escape the Death Eaters that he was sure would follow them. Harry turned to look out the back window, and sure enough, there they were, mounted on brooms in broad daylight and catching up with them rather quickly.

"Um, we have someone tailing us," Harry did his best to keep the panic out of his voice.

"What'll we do Vernon?!" Aunt Petunia sounded thoroughly panicked.

Harry reached into his schoolbag and brought out his invisibility cloak, suddenly grateful he had not tucked it into his trunk as he would usually have done. He spoke the word, "engorgio" and the cloak increased in size. Then he said to Uncle Vernon, "I need my broom from the trunk. The only way to get it is through magic." And without waiting for a response, Harry spoke the words, "Alohamora, Accio Firebolt," and the trunk suddenly opened and out came the broom. It hovered next to the car as they drove along, following them. Harry rolled down his window, grabbed the broom with one hand and held the cloak with the other. He climbed out the car window to the shouts and cries of his relatives, threw himself onto the broom and the enlarged cloak over both himself and the car. As Uncle Vernon could undoubtedly no longer see where he was going, Harry cast one more spell on each of the car's four wheels, "Wingardium Leviosa!" and the car began to rise into the air. All three Dursleys were screaming and clinging to whatever they could inside the vehicle.

"Be as quiet as you can, they can't see us now. I'll take us all to a safe place," Harry called through his still open car window. The Dursleys stared at him and Aunt Petunia nodded nervously, but they all said nothing. Harry knew of only one place they could go that was anywhere near here, and it was the last place in the world he wanted to go, but it was safe. He only hoped the Dursleys would be able to enter there. He quietly guided the invisible car and its occupants to London and then toward Grimmauld Place. They seemed to have lost the Death Eaters for now, but Harry knew what Moody would say. The words "Constant Vigilance!" echoed through his mind and Harry thought it might be wise to take a look around before leading a pack of Death Eaters straight to the door of the Headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix. He scanned the skies behind him and then noted the lessening of pain in his scar. 'They must have lost us,' he thought. But he circled the neighborhood a few more times before setting the Dursleys down in front of a vacant lot between numbers 11 and 13. Harry wondered again how he was going to get them inside if they couldn't even see the place. He tried to remember what Moody had done last year to let Harry get in. There had been a slip of paper written in Dumbledore's loopy scrawl stating the address of the Headquarters. 'Hmm,' he thought, 'If Dumbledore is secret keeper I won't be able to divulge the address to them. Perhaps Hedwig can get a message in to whoever is in the house asking them to let us in.' He quickly scribbled a note on a torn piece of parchment he found in his schoolbag and handed it to Hedwig. The Dursleys watched him, bewildered, but said nothing.

"Right," Harry spoke, unnerved at the Dursleys' silence after all the magic he'd done. He expected them to be angry, livid in fact, but they all just stood there, staring at him dumfounded. "Hedwig will take a note in for us asking them to let us in. You can't see the house right now. The Death Eaters, they're the ones who were following us, can't get in here." Harry finished, eyeing them all nervously, waiting for them to explode at him. But, still, they just stood there.

A few moments later Remus Lupin seemed to emerge out of nowhere and came up to where they all stood. "Are you sure you were not followed?" He asked first.

"Did the best I could. Threw the cloak over the car and levitated us all. I'm sure they saw us disappear, but they haven't been around since the freeway out of Surry, and I circled the neighborhood a few times just to be sure." Harry responded.

"All right, just one more precaution then," Lupin said, and he got out his wand. "Obliviate," he muttered and pointed the wand at each of the Dursleys in turn as they cowered in front of him. "I only removed the memory of where they landed." Lupin explained, "They would freak out to find themselves inside and not know how they got there."

"Good thinking," Harry commented, "Can we go in now? I'm getting nervous that someone will catch us out here or something."

"Of course," Lupin responded, and he took out a piece of tattered parchment and instructed the Dursleys to read it and think about what they had read. As they did so, the house suddenly materialized in front of them and Aunt Petunia jumped back with a slight "Oh…."


	2. The Dursleys at Grimmauld Place

**Chapter Two: The Dursleys at Grimmauld Place**

They walked up the front steps and Lupin opened the door and ushered them in. As soon as the door was closed behind them Lupin wheeled around to face Harry. "What on earth possessed you to do so much magic?!" Lupin spat in a hoarse whisper. Harry noted that he probably did not want to wake the portrait of Sirius' mother by shouting.

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't have, but there were Death Eaters at my Aunt and Uncle's house when we got there."

"Are you sure, Harry? You know what this will look like to the Ministry, don't you?"

"I know, but it couldn't be helped. They sent a stunner at us as we tried to get out of the car!"

"But where was your guard? There should have been someone there the moment you arrived!"

"I don't know; I didn't expect anyone to be there, though I suppose I should have. Who was supposed to be guarding me?" Harry asked.

"I was," a female voice said from the doorway. Tonks turned to close the door behind her before continuing. "That was a right good bit of magic you pulled from your sleeve. Don't worry, I saw the whole thing. Ya worried me some when ya disappeared, but I had a hunch I'd find you guys here. I sent the Death Eaters after a mirage and then turned back toward headquarters," she finished.

"Thank goodness you were there, Tonks. At least Harry will have someone to vouch for him if he has to go back to court for this."

Harry thought back miserably to the day he had gone with Mr. Weasley to be tried for underage wizardry. He remembered Umbridge with her little black bow, questioning him and trying to throw him out of school. Now that he knew the Dementor attack had been sent by her to silence him about Voldemort's return, the memory was enormously more unpleasant than it had been to begin with. But Dumbledore had been there to help him then, and Harry was sure Dumbledore would do the same now if Harry were to need it. Harry realized, then, how much Dumbledore had always been there for him, but then, the old wizard had also kept a lot of important things from Harry. Harry's conflicted emotions must have shown on his face then because Lupin spoke again.

"I'm sure it will be all right, Harry. You should be proud of yourself. You saved your family's lives tonight." Harry suddenly remembered that the Dursleys were there. He noticed they had huddled into a corner of the entrance hall, a little too close to Mrs. Black's portrait, holding each other's arms. Suddenly Harry couldn't be angry with them anymore. They looked frightened out of their minds. And who could blame them? Having to be in this horrible place and having no understanding of what those heads were on the wall across from them, it reminded Harry of the time he'd found himself lost in Knockturn Alley.

"I'll show you to a bedroom that you can use until it is safe for you all to go home." Harry placated them. Truthfully, he wondered if there would be a home for the Dursleys to go back to at all once the Death Eaters were done with it. He thought the crestfallen look on Aunt Petunia's face was a good sign that she felt the same as he did about their prospects of returning home. "Come on, he encouraged. We don't want to stay here. That portrait behind you might start screaming at us all if we are too noisy."

Uncle Vernon glanced furtively behind him at the drapes that hid Mrs. Black's portrait and turned back looking confused. They followed Harry up the stairs to the room that Harry and Ron had shared the previous summer.

"This room has only one thing in it to worry about. That empty portrait on the wall may speak to you from time to time, but don't be alarmed." He could see they were already sufficiently alarmed.

"Is there a room without talking portraits in it?" Aunt Petunia almost whispered.

"Not that I'm aware of," Harry said truthfully, "But this one is really tame. Phineas Nigellus may show up now and then in the frame, but he will have just come from Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts. There's no place safer than Hogwarts." The Dursleys didn't look convinced.

"I spent most of last summer in here, trust me, it's fine." He turned his back on the frightened trio, annoyed that they were still acting so strangely, 'But then,' he thought to himself, 'this has to be weird for them.' He left them there deciding to head to the kitchen to wait for the Ministry's owls, which he was sure would come to expel him and charge him with his supposed crimes. He found Hedwig there and thought about owling Ron and Hermione about this strange turn of events. Just then the fire in the kitchen grate came alive with green flame and Dumbledore stepped out.

"You've had a busy day, I understand," he smiled wanly, looking at Harry over his half-moon spectacles. "I've been to the Ministry already. They were in a right state. I will need to take Nymphadora over there with me later this evening, but I believe I will be able to straighten this out. What I would like to know, though, is how you knew they were there. Was it your scar?"

"Yea," Harry replied, awestruck at Dumbledore's advance knowledge of the situation. 'How does he do that?' he wondered. "My scar burned, and the lights were all out. Aunt Petunia always keeps the entryway light on when they are out. Of course it helped give them away that someone sent a curse at us from inside the house. How did they get in there anyway? I couldn't get any spells to go through the wards when I tried to defend us all with my wand."

"I'm not entirely sure how they did it. They had to have fooled the wards into believing it was the Dursley family, or you, who entered first. Of course once they were in, they had the advantage being behind the wards. I would assume that the protections were weak because you had been away for quite a while."

"Are you saying that my presence protects the Dursleys as much as they protect me?"

"Not exactly. Actually, you are much better protected than they are when you are there, but your presence does strengthen the spell," Dumbledore replied.

"I see," was all that Harry could think of to say. He felt awkward standing in front of the kind faced man, knowing he had caused more trouble for him and that he had just days before been in this man's office throwing his things around.

"Don't worry, Harry, they will be able to return home in a few days. In the mean time, perhaps it would be wise to bring Molly and her children here. Someone will need to tend to the Dursleys' needs while they are here, and I daresay you could do with some company."

Harry smiled, "It would be nice to have Ron here," he said gratefully.

"I'll just go speak with Remus and Nymphadora then," Dumbledore finished, and swept out of the room.

There was no point sending a letter to Ron if he'd be there in a day or two, so Harry wrote a short cryptic note to Hermione hoping she would understand it and sent it off with Hedwig. He then looked into the pantry, found a stash of butterbeers, and took four of them with him back up the stairs. 'If this doesn't soften them up toward the wizarding world,' he thought looking at the dusty bottles, 'then nothing will.' He found his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin sitting on one of the beds together still looking frightened and confused. As he entered he saw them jump slightly in alarm and then relax a little when they saw it was him.

"I brought you something to drink," he said holding out the bottles.

"They're dirty," Aunt Petunia spoke shakily.

Harry wiped the bottles off on his shirt. He could have cleaned them more thoroughly with his wand, but he knew since his life was not being threatened by the bottles that he should not try any magic now. Aunt Petunia's nose curled up as Harry again held out the bottles. But Dudley quickly stuck out a beefy hand and grabbed one of the bottles. Before his parents could stop him he wrenched off the lid and began to drink. Harry supposed Dudley must be pretty hungry by now. When nothing of any consequence happened to Dudley upon drinking the butterbeer, Vernon and Petunia seemed to give in and tentatively took the other bottles from Harry. Harry sat down on the bed Ron had been in last year, as the Dursleys were on the other, and began to drink his own butterbeer. They sat in silence drinking for a long time. No one knew quite what to say. Soon Dudley had finished his bottle off and looked to Harry.

"Are there more of those anywhere?" he asked, "That was pretty good, and I'm starved."

"Sure," said Harry, "I'll get you one."

"Can I come with you?" This question surprised Harry.

"I suppose so," he responded, but Uncle Vernon seemed skeptical.

"Dudley, I would prefer you stayed in here, son."

"It's ok, Dad, if Harry were going to do anything to hurt us, wouldn't he have left us at home in the first place?"

Suddenly Dudley didn't seem quite so dense to Harry. Harry couldn't help smiling a bit as he led Dudley down to the kitchen.

"Where are we anyway, Potter?" Dudley asked, beginning to sound more like his old bullying, commanding self.

'At least he's feeling more at home,' Harry thought, but then wondered suddenly why that mattered to him at all. He decided to shake things back up again just a little.

"This is my Godfather's house," he responded.

"But isn't he a…"Dudley stopped walking and looked as if he would bolt for the front door.

"Yeah, that's what they say he was…" Harry trailed off, not willing to talk to Dudley about Sirius when he still had not even talked to Ron or Hermione about any of it.

"Was?" Dudley asked.

"Let's just say he won't be coming around while you are here," Harry said. He continued walking though, hoping Dudley would take the hint that the subject was closed and not caring if the big oaf bothered to follow him. But Dudley continued on into the Kitchen with Harry, still keen to get another butterbeer.

"Any chance of a bite of normal food in this place?" Dudley asked looking around for a refrigerator and not finding one.

"Wizards eat the same stuff everyone does," Harry stated, annoyed and amused at the same time. The confused look on Dudley's face was priceless.

"But, where's the refrigerator?" Dudley asked, clearly baffled.

"Well, we don't use electricity, magic interferes with it, so we use charms to keep our food from spoiling," Harry explained patiently.

"I won't eat anything with a charm on it," Dudley started, "Not after what your friends fed me."

"No one told you to eat the candy they dropped, Dud." Harry laughed at the absurd memory from the summer before his 4th year at Hogwarts. The image of Dudley's oversized tongue lolling from his pig-like face was filed under 'hilarious' in Harry's memory. "Don't worry, Dud, Fred and George haven't been here for months. They won't have cursed the food. Watch out for any sweets you find laying around though. You never know what those two might have dropped."

Harry began looking around for food in the pantry then, as Dudley carefully sat at the kitchen table, looking as though he expected it to jump up and bite him. It occurred to Harry again how strange it was that Dudley, his Aunt and Uncle too for that matter, were not more hysterical than they were at the moment. 'I suppose total immersion in a new world will leave anyone stunned for a while,' he thought as he prepared Turkey and sprout sandwiches for the Dursleys and himself and another for Lupin when he spotted him coming into the kitchen.

"How are you, Harry?" Lupin began, sounding concerned.

Harry chose to ignore the urge to start shouting that he was fine and said quietly, "Hungry, as I suppose you likely are, too?"

"You know what I mean, Harry," Lupin pressed.

"Why don't you take these back up to your parents, Dud," Harry sighed as he held the plate out for Dudley to take. Dudley looked curiously from Harry to Lupin before taking the plate of sandwiches and leaving the room with it.

"Look, Lupin, I'm not ready to talk about this yet," Harry began.

"You're not the only one who lost a friend, you know," Lupin responded.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I know it was my fault, all my fault. If there was anything I could do to bring him back…." Harry looked at the floor as the tears began to well up in his eyes. He turned and ran from the room, not wanting to look into Lupin's eyes. He mounted the steps two and three at a time until he had reached the attic where Buckbeak had been kept. He wondered where the creature was now. By the silence in the attic, he was quite sure Buckbeak was no longer in the house. He found an empty room in the attic and sat on the floor, his head in his hands. Memories of Sirius and the Department of Mysteries came flooding back to him as tears flowed down his face. "All my fault, all my fault…" he muttered to himself as he cried. He fell asleep there on the dusty floor of that attic room hoping the Dursleys and Lupin and Dumbledore and everyone else would just leave him alone for a good long time.

As he cried the burning in his scar began to grow and ache. Soon the pain was piercingly hot, and he clamped a hand to his head. Far, far away he heard the echoes of a conversation and an image burst upon his mind.

"You have failed us, young Malfoy. If not for your stray stunning curse, they might have entered the house and I would have had my revenge at last. You are unpredictable and unsteady. You are not yet prepared to enter my ranks."

"Yes, my Lord," Draco cowered before the horrifying creature standing over him.

"Go back to your school, back to that old fool, Dumbledore. Be on your way. I have weightier matters to attend to."

"Yes, my Lord," Draco repeated, backing slowly away from the Dark Wizard. Fear, anger, and loathing were playing across Draco's face.

"I will find you Potter," the Dark Lord spoke into the empty room. You will die in the end. I will destroy you in plain view, for everyone to see. You cannot hide from me."

Red, slitted eyes pierced the image in Harry's mind until they were all he could see. Harry cried out in pain as his scar threatened to split in two. He barely registered the sound of feet pounding up the stairs as he screamed, before he blacked out entirely.


	3. The Weasleys Meet the Dursleys

**Chapter Three: The Weasleys Meet the Dursleys**

The next morning Harry was startled to find himself in a bed in a room of the house that he had not seen before. He vaguely remembered passing out in the attic and wondered who it was who had found him there and brought him here. As he raised his head and looked for his glasses, he realized that someone was in another bed in the room, someone with flaming red hair. Harry wondered when it was the Weasleys had arrived at Grimmauld Place. As Harry sat up in his bed he saw his best friend, Ron, begin to stir and wake.

"Good morning, Harry," Ron said with a hint of a laugh in his voice. Harry was sure he must have looked confused because Ron continued with an explanation. "Mum and Ginny and I got here last night pretty late. No one had seen you for hours so Ginny and I went looking for you. Ginny found you in the attic when you screamed and Lupin levitated you here. When I came back later you were smiling like an idiot. Whatever you were dreaming about must have been good!"

Harry began to remember his dream. There had been a garden, filled with flowers and sculpted lawns. Beside a water-fountain with a statue of a unicorn sat a lovely girl, one Harry knew from somewhere, but he could not remember who it was now that he was awake. The dream contrasted so sharply with the last bits of consciousness he'd had the night before, he wondered if he hadn't been given some sort of potion to cause it. "It was nothing special," Harry replied feeling that if it had been important he would have remembered it.

"Sure," Ron said, clearly not believing him, but not wanting to press the issue too hard. Harry supposed Ron was still not sure when to expect Harry to start screaming or crying or something. Harry was annoyed that Ron was being so wary with him, but he couldn't blame Ron. Harry had, after all, been mightily unpredictable since the end of last term.

"Well, I expect Mum's got breakfast started by now," Ron said as he began to climb out from under his covers. Harry was about to follow suit when the door creaked open.

"Ginny, bloody hell, we're not fully dressed in here!" Ron yelled at his little sister.

A chill went down Harry's spine as he looked up at Ginny's face poking around the door. He suddenly couldn't help contemplating the unicorn statue in the fountain of his dream. Ginny smiled mischievously, "Mum said to come get you two up. Breakfast is on and Harry's cousin looks hungry enough to eat the table itself."

Harry laughed at Ginny's assessment of Dudley's appetite. When Ginny had closed the door, the two boys emerged from under their covers and quickly dressed to go down to breakfast. True to Ginny's word, there was Dudley, a stack of pancakes and syrup, sausage, eggs, and bacon piled onto his plate and quickly disappearing. Aunt Petunia sat nervously in the chair next to Dudley picking at her own eggs and toast, while Uncle Vernon looked almost as shocked as he had the night before. Harry was willing to bet the shocked look had come from having watched Mrs. Weasley produce a mountain of very normal looking food through very abnormal (at least to the Dursleys) means. Harry stifled a laugh as he sat down at the opposite end of the table from his relatives.

"It's ok, Uncle Vernon, the food is quite edible," Harry eyed his Uncle who seemed to be regaining some of his regular personality as he was starting to turn an interesting shade of puce. "And it's quite good, too," Harry said through his first mouthful. "You should really try some of this bacon! This is great Mrs. Weasley!" He added, addressing his last phrases to Ron's Mother who still stood at the stove looking nervously at Dudley, obviously wondering if she should be making more.

"Oh, thank you, Harry. That's very kind of you. Tuck in now, Mr. Dursley," she said in the same manner she might have addressed one of her own sons. "I'm sure you must be famished after the harrowing day you had yesterday. Honestly, I simply cannot understand how they got into that house!" She continued to rant and worry about the safety of the house at Privet Drive having been compromised.

Uncle Vernon did finally manage to eat a few bites after seeing his son go unharmed by it. He then turned his attention to Dumbledore who had just entered the room and who obviously, by the ease with which Uncle Vernon addressed him, had introduced himself to the Dursleys sometime during the previous evening.

"How do you propose I manage to get to work and back while I am stuck here in this place?" he asked Dumbledore. Harry noted that Uncle Vernon did not refer to the Black Manor as a house, but rather a 'place' as though it was an inexplicable twist of nature that the walls surrounding them all should be there at all. 'And how else would a muggle like Uncle Vernon view a house that suddenly appears out of nowhere?' Harry thought to himself.

"You could call in a sick day," Dumbledore suggested, seeming to suddenly know all about muggle office procedure somehow. There was a twinkle in his eye behind the half moon spectacles, and Harry could have sworn he saw the hint of a smile playing around the old wizard's mouth, just for an instant.

"I've never taken a sick day in my life," Uncle Vernon replied vehemently, as though repulsed by the idea, "And I will not allow you people to hold me here like a hostage when I have a job to do at my office." Uncle Vernon was clearly searching for some bit of normalcy to cling to. A day at the office would be far more enjoyable to the old walrus than a day spent with a lot of wizards and witches bustling about.

"I am terribly sorry, Mr. Dursley, but as you are clearly in a great deal of danger, and would put everyone in this house under the same threat were you to leave here and return again every day, I must insist that for the time being you remain here. I will, however, look into the possibility of arranging a floo connection with your place of work should this become a lengthy stay, which I am sincerely hoping it will not. Has your office a fireplace anywhere in the building?" Dumbledore's voice betrayed no emotion, but Harry could tell by the loss of sparkle to his eyes that Dumbledore truly did hope the Dursleys would not stay at Headquarters for long. Harry wondered briefly if their stay was interfering with meeting plans or communications with order members.

"A fireplace! I should say not. Ours is a very modern building, with a furnace and boiler room. What use would Grunnings have with fireplaces?!" Uncle Vernon was clearly perplexed.

"I see, well, then we shall have to devise a portkey, I suppose." And then, as though to demonstrate the usefulness of a fireplace to Uncle Vernon, Dumbledore strode over to the grate in the kitchen, bid good day to everyone, and disappeared in a flash of green flame.

Uncle Vernon stared at the flames in the kitchen fireplace for a long moment as though willing himself not to believe he had just seen a man disappear there. He turned his eyes to his wife who seemed a bit taken aback by Dumbledore's sudden departure, but not terribly surprised at his means of travel. "It's how they travel, Vernon," she comforted him. "He is quite right though. We really are in danger. And who knows how far we are from the office here. We'll tell them you injured your back. It'll be fine."

Harry stared at his Aunt as she spoke. He had never heard her speak so lovingly toward anyone. It suddenly became very clear to Harry that his aunt and uncle were a married couple, that they must love each other. And even though it was strange to see it, he had to admit, they were not so unlike his own mother and father in the pictures he had seen of them. 'If only they could have loved me as they do their son…"Harry thought, but then, there was no point in thinking on it. What was done was done, and nothing would change that now. The future was all he had to work with now. He decided then that he had done the right thing saving his relatives from the Death Eaters, no matter how nasty they had been toward him, and that he would do the same thing again if it ever became necessary.

But Uncle Vernon had to have the last word, "Who says we're any safer here among these freaks than we would be anywhere else?"

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked, Ginny's face was turning red and white in succession, and Ron looked like he wanted to pound the man's face in. Harry was livid that his horrible uncle could behave so ungratefully. He stood opening and closing his mouth as Uncle Vernon rose from his seat and left the room and Aunt Petunia followed sheepishly after him. Dudley was left staring at all the angry faces on his own. He quickly finished his plate and then followed his parents to the room they all were sharing. Harry later learned that Dudley had been offered the choice of a room of his own or sharing with Harry and Ron but had refused to leave his parents' sides resulting in Lupin's having to enlarge the beds in the room to accommodate the family. Harry wondered if Lupin had also enlarged the room. One thing was certain, Harry would be glad of it when the Dursleys did go home.

It was not long before Mrs. Weasley found something to occupy everyone. She left the Dursleys to themselves, and they obliged by staying mostly to their own room. But Harry, Ron and Ginny were put to work cleaning the parlor and drawing room the same as they had done the previous year. Only this year there were no doxies to be rid of. They were poking through a cupboard when Ginny yelped loudly.

"Ouch," she cried holding her left hand up to reveal a nasty red spot on the end of her ring finger.

"What happened, are you ok?" Harry asked her as he looked up from his cleaning.

"Something bit me," she exclaimed as she peered into the cupboard to find the assailing object or creature.

"I think I know what," Ron supplied holding up a sapphire blue insect as it wriggled and tried to spin out of Ron's reach.

Suddenly Ginny began to giggle, then laugh. Her body began to rise off the floor. Her face looked alarmed, but she continued to giggle. Harry could tell that something wasn't right about the way she was laughing.

"What's so funny Gin?" Ron asked clearly not understanding what was going on.

"N-nothing is f-funny," she choked out between giggles, "I c-can't help it, oh, m-my g-gosh, he he he he, get me d-down." She gasped as she rose all the way to the ceiling.

"I'll get Mum," Ron cried as he hurried out of the room, still holding the insect.

Harry looked up at Ginny, "Are you OK?" he asked, knowing he sounded stupid. Of course she wasn't OK, something in that insect bite was making her laugh uncontrollably and float around the room. Tears were streaming down her face from laughing so hard.

"Harry, c-can you t-try and get me d-down? I'm, ha ha ha ha, I'm sort of, ha ha ha ha, sc-scared of h-heights." She did look terrified behind all the laughing.

I'm coming, Gin, hold on," Harry said. He grabbed a chair from a nearby game table and pulled it over to the spot just below where Ginny was hovering. He climbed up on the chair to try to reach her. "Blast it, I'm too short!" Harry cried.

"Non… ha ha ha ha… Nonsense, Harry…ha ha ha ha…this ceiling is j-just too high!" she squealed, a note of panic in her voice.

Just at the moment when Harry was reaching up for a second try and telling Ginny to reach down as far as she could, Harry heard loud footsteps coming into the room. Thinking it was Ron coming back with his Mum, Harry quickly asked "Can you lift me up, mate? I can't quite reach her."

"Blimey, what's she doing up there?" Dudley's voice came pounding up into Harry's ears.

"Dudley?" Harry was shocked to see Dudley there, but Dudley just followed Harry's previous instructions and lifted Harry up by the feet. Harry quickly grabbed Ginny's outstretched hand and pulled her to him. She clung to him as Dudley put them both down on the floor.

Ginny continued to cling to Harry since her body was still trying to float back up off the ground. Harry held her around her waist with one arm and around her shoulders with the other to keep her on the floor. The close proximity to her was starting to cause his cheeks to flush as he looked into her face.

"Thanks, Harry. You've saved my life again." She spoke quietly as though afraid that speaking any louder would make her start laughing again. Harry turned his face to look at Dudley.

"Thanks," he said, shocked and amazed that Dudley had helped him that way. "Why'd you do that?"

"You saved my life, and my parents too. So, I helped save your friend." Dudley shrugged his massive shoulders. "Just don't go spreading it around. What on earth was she doing up there in the first place?"

"I don't know, something bit me and I just sort of floated up. Ron's gone to get my mum." Ginny replied

"Bit you?" Dudley exclaimed looking around the room, suddenly frightened.

"Stung her, actually, I'd say," Lupin's voice came from the doorway. There was a sparkle in his eye and a smile was creeping up onto his lips as he surveyed Harry and Ginny, arms clasped around each other, Ginny holding on for dear life. "I'd say we should get a picture of this hilarious scene before we try to undo the effects of that Billywig sting. This is precious!" He laughed outright then just as Mrs. Weasley came into the room closely followed by Ron. Mrs. Weasley laughed too, but Ron looked a bit concerned.

"What are you doing to my sister?" he asked Harry.

"I'm trying to keep her down off the ceiling. She says she's scared of heights." Harry replied, and then Ron laughed too, at the incredulous look Harry was giving him.

It seemed Ginny was experiencing a mild allergy to Billywigs since the effects of the sting didn't seem to be wearing off. As they sat at the dinner table that night, Ginny had to keep one hand on the seat of her chair the whole time to keep from rising off of it.

"How did Billywigs end up here?" Ginny whined, "They're supposed to be in Australia, not England. Good grief, what a day!"

"Don't worry, Gin, I'm sure it will go away soon," Harry comforted her.

"What if it doesn't?" she worried. "What if I'm severely allergic to them and I keep floating around for the rest of my life?"

"Then Potter here will just have to stick around so he can keep pealing you off ceilings!" Dudley laughed, and Harry's cheeks went involuntarily red. "And don't go outside whatever you do."

"Maybe your lack of gravity will make you a faster chaser," Ron teased.

"Are you planning on trying out for that, Gin?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I mean, since all of Umbridge's decrees were repealed, I'm sure you'll be allowed back on the team, Harry. And no one's a better seeker than you. But I always wanted to be a chaser, anyway," she replied.

Harry blushed at the compliment, but tried to remain modest about it, "I thought you did a great job last year as seeker. Ron said you grabbed the snitch right out from under Cho's nose."

"Yeah, well, Cho had it coming, didn't she?" Ginny smiled as she remembered that last match. "She had her eye on Michael Corner the whole time. I can't believe I ever dated that git."

"So, how do you fly when you're afraid of heights?" Harry queried suspiciously.

"It's not as bad when I have the game to distract me, and a broom to hold on to. But just floating like that, with nothing to hold me up…" she shuddered and almost lost hold of her chair. Harry automatically placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her while she re-established her firm grip on the seat.

"So, how's it going with Dean?" Harry asked, wanting to know more than he wanted to let on.

"Oh," Ginny giggled again, and Harry couldn't tell if it was the effects of the Billywig sting, or the question he had asked. "I never was going out with him, actually."

"WHAT?!" Ron exclaimed, spraying a bit of his food across the table as he stood and stared at Ginny.

"I just said it to get you mad," she laughed, and this time Harry was quite sure it was genuine. Everyone else laughed too, but Ron sat hunched in his chair a bit, muttering that he didn't think it was very funny.


	4. Ron and Hermione

**Chapter Four: Ron and Hermione**

As Ron and Harry were preparing for bed that night, Harry noticed Ron staring at something he was holding.

"What's that, Ron?" Harry asked offhandedly.

"Oh nothing," was Ron's hurried reply as he stuffed what looked like a piece of thick paper into the back pocket of his jeans.

Harry shrugged and let it go. He figured if Ron wanted to keep a secret, he should be allowed that. 'After all,' he thought to himself, 'I have enough secrets of my own to make his head spin.' But Harry's silence seemed to be just the prompting Ron needed.

"Harry, if I tell you something, will you swear to never tell another living soul?"

"Of course, Ron, you can tell me anything." Ron pulled the object he'd been staring at out of his pocket and showed it to Harry. It was a photo of Harry, Ron, and Hermione next to Victor Krum taken after the Triwizard Tournament just before the Durmstrang ship set sail for its homeland. Harry recognized the faraway look in his own eyes and wondered, suddenly, how many more people would die, like Cedric and Sirius, before Voldemort could be defeated. He wondered again how he, a not quite sixteen year old, was supposed to be the one to defeat the monster. Ron noticed the look of anger and sadness on Harry's face and seemed to misinterpret it.

"I know, he's from Durmstrang," Ron began, "which means he has to be pureblooded, full of dark arts secrets, and couldn't possibly care for her like…like…like we do."

Startled from his thoughts, Harry suddenly looked up into Ron's face. The dreamy, yet sad expression, the red tinge to his ears, and the fact that his eyes rested firmly on the image of Hermione told Harry all he needed to know about what Ron really meant to say. "You know, Ron, she hasn't said that much about him, lately. Maybe she doesn't fancy him at all."

"Oh, come on, Harry! He's rich, famous, incredible at quidditch, why wouldn't she fancy him?" Ron's voice seemed to squeak a bit.

"Well, if that's all girls want, they should be lining up along the streets for a chance with me any day now!" Harry laughed at the thought.

Ron wasn't so amused. "They probably will," he muttered as he sat down heavily on his bed.

"Ron," Harry began more seriously, "Hermione's not just any girl. She doesn't goggle over famous people or fancy someone just because he's rich."

"Oh yeah, what about Lockhart?" Ron reminded him.

"We were twelve then, Ron. Besides, I'd say she learned her lesson on him."

"Maybe," Ron mumbled. "But then there were all the letters she sent Krum all year. They were so long, like she was baring her soul to him." Ron was beginning to sound desperate. Harry couldn't help but pity him.

"Listen, if it makes you feel better, I'll ask her about Krum for you. Maybe she'll tell me if she really fancies him or not." Ron looked hesitant, but hopeful.

"Just don't tell her it's me that wants to know."

"I won't," Harry promised, then added for good measure, "I swear, I won't tell anyone!" Harry watched Ron's expression change from pure desperation to slight hope. He was glad for Ron's relief, but he just had to ask one question. "So, how long have you fancied Hermione?"

Ron looked shocked and seemed on the verge of a blatant denial. But Harry gave him a knowing look, and Ron conceded. "Since second year, when she got petrified. I was scared to death she'd never wake up. I thought I'd lost her."

Harry chuckled, "And to think I only cottoned on after the Yule Ball when I heard you arguing and found your broken Krum statue."

Ron chucked his pillow at Harry and they had a good pillow fight. Ginny, having heard their laughter, came in and joined them. The three teenagers laughed and tossed pillows at one another until they all three collapsed on Harry's bed, Ginny in between the two boys.

"Oh," Ginny spoke breathlessly, "I almost forgot, I got an owl from Hermione today. It seems she doesn't want to be left out. She'll be here tomorrow, cat and all, and wants to know which room her parents can stay in."

"Her parents, Gin?" Harry asked.

"Don't ask me why they're coming," Ginny replied. She got up then and started to leave.

"Ginny," Ron stopped her suddenly, "Did she say anything about, you know, any of her other…erm, friends…at all?"

"No, Ron, she didn't mention Victor Krum." There was a twinkle in Ginny's eye as she suppressed a giggle. Ron's ears were suddenly bright red now.

"You were listening on those extendable ears, weren't you!" he exclaimed. "What did you hear?!"

Ginny ducked out of the room then, followed closely by Ron. Harry chuckled to himself as he watched them go. 'They'll never change,' he thought to himself, 'At least I hope not.' There was something about the Weasleys that always made him smile. Harry had climbed under the covers and turned out the light by the time Ron returned to their room. He heard Ron pull back his own bed covers and climb in before Ron spoke again.

"Harry, what's it feel like to be in love?"

"I dunno, mate. I don't think I've ever really been in love."

"What about Cho?"

"She was pretty, and she played quidditch, so I liked her for a while, but I don't think we ever had a chance to fall in love. She never really got over Cedric, you know?"

"Mmm, I suppose."

"I think I'd have to know someone a while, be good friends first, you know? It takes time to fall in love." Harry mused.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Harry heard Ron roll over and settle himself. "G'night Harry," Ron nearly whispered.

"G'night Ron, sweet dreams." Ron chucked another pillow at Harry.

When Harry awoke the next morning, Ron was already up and gone from the room. Harry thought Ron must have tossed and turned all night, judging by the rumpled mess of bedclothes on Ron's bed. Harry got up, straightened his own covers and dressed. Hermione would be arriving today, he remembered, and she needed a room for her parents. Harry wondered briefly why Hermione had decided to bring them. By the time Harry came down for breakfast, Ron seemed fit to burst with nervousness.

"Come on, Ron," Harry chuckled, "It's just Hermione, after all." Ron attempted a weak grin.

"Who's Hermione?" Dudley asked as he entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, his massive form taking up one entire end of it.

Harry looked at his huge cousin and blinked a few times. It was still strange to him that the Dursleys were even there. Seeing Dudley, now shoveling piles of Mrs. Weasley's scrambled eggs into his face, was almost unnerving. Except for the dementor attack the previous summer, Harry had always felt he lived in two entirely separate and distinct worlds. Now it seemed those worlds were once again converging, and quite without his permission. He frowned at Dudley as he responded. "She's our friend, from Hogwarts."

Dudley stared stupidly at Harry before responding around a mouthful of eggs, "Is she one of your kind then?"

"Well, obviously," Harry replied.

Harry turned slowly away from Dudley, and began to tuck in to his own breakfast. He noticed Ron had not finished his plate, but was eyeing it like it was made of slugs and dragon fangs. Harry wondered if Ron had seen Krum's face in them somewhere. The doorbell rang just as the Dursleys came into the kitchen to join their son. Harry thought that since Lupin was away, and Sirius was obviously unavailable, he might as well play the host. Harry went to answer the door, while Ron and his mother wrenched the drapes back over the screaming portrait of Mrs. Black. As soon as the door was opened, Crookshanks went flying past, chasing from room to room after every pest and critter he could scare up. Hermione stepped in and gave Harry a gentle hug. It was then that Harry noticed her parents standing behind her.

"Hello," Harry said politely to Mr. and Mrs. Granger after Hermione had released him. "It's nice to see you again. Won't you step in?"

"It's nice to see you as well…Harry, isn't it? Oh, and Ron, how are you? How's your family?" Hermione's mother responded as they entered.

"I…I'm fine, they're fine," Ron stuttered as his gaze shifted from Mrs. Granger to Hermione. Ron's ears were red again, and Harry could have sworn Hermione was blushing slightly under his gaze.

"Well," Harry said, breaking the awkward silence that had ensued. "Let's see where you all will be staying so you can put your things down." He led them up the stairs to the room Fred and George had been in the summer before. Then he led Hermione down the hall to the door across from his and Ron's room. "Ginny's in here, I hope you don't mind sharing with her." He opened the door and the two of them stepped in. The walls were lined with bookshelves and there was a little desk and chair under the only window. Two twin four poster beds stood against the only bare wall, a large viper carved into each head and foot board.

"Wow, I don't mind at all," Hermione breathed, "except for the snakes, this room was made just for me. I bet Ginny's been having a blast in here."

"Well, as long as you're comfortable…" Harry trailed off. He felt the room was a bit spooky, but he knew how fond Hermione was of books. "You both should feel free to visit us across the hall whenever you like," he added.

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said, as they set her trunk down next to one of the beds. "Just think, next year we'll be able to levitate our trunks everywhere because we'll be of age by then."

"Won't that be nice," Harry thought aloud, "No more letters from the Ministry trying to expel me for underage magic?"

"Yeah, Ginny mentioned something about that. What happened Harry?" Harry told Hermione the whole story about arriving home to find Death Eaters in the Dursleys' house and levitating the car under the enlarged cloak. When he had finished she let out a low whistle and asked, "So, the Dursleys are here?"

"Yeah, they were in the kitchen last I knew, eating and complaining as usual," Harry said.

"Wow," Hermione remarked, "That has to be weird for you, Harry."

"Sure is, what's weirder is that I still haven't heard from the Ministry about it. What about you? What brings your parents here?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and blushed a bit. "I haven't spent much time with them in a while. So when I owled Dumbledore about coming here, he suggested I bring them along. They're safer here, anyway, aren't they? And, as long as they're here, maybe they can help your muggle relatives feel more comfortable."

I suppose so," Harry agreed, though skeptically. Then he remembered his promise to Ron and tried to sound off-handed when he asked her, "Have you heard from Krum, lately?"

"No, Harry," she looked suspicious. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Harry said, a little too quickly.

"I suppose Ron wanted to know," she mused, "I wish he'd lay off of Victor. What's he got against him anyway?"

"Let's put it this way, Hermione," Harry tried to keep things light, "He just needs some reassurance, if you know what I mean." Hermione took in Harry's demeanor and seemed to get the point. "Just out of curiosity," Harry continued, "What exactly is there between you and Krum?"

"Not much, really, Harry. Krum asked me for some pointers in Transfiguration so he could qualify for a position he wanted in Germany. He was hoping to get out of quidditch and start a new career away from his home in Bulgaria. Last I heard he'd gotten the job and was busy with training. He didn't say what the job was. That was months ago, now."

"Hmm, all right, well, I'll let you get settled in then," Harry stood and moved toward the door. "There's breakfast if you want it, if Dudley hasn't eaten it all yet, that is." Harry turned to leave, but Hermione stopped him.

"Harry, tell me honestly. What's up with Ron, lately? He barely speaks to me anymore. Is he mad at me? Is he embarrassed about the Brain incident or something?"

"No, Hermione, he's not mad _at_ you," he emphasized the word 'at'. 'More like, mad _about_ you' he thought with a smile, "And I don't think it has much to do with what happened at the end of term. You should talk to him. He's sworn me to secrecy. But really, you should talk to him if you can." Harry left her to think on that and returned to the kitchen where Uncle Vernon was again complaining loudly about wanting to return to work.


	5. Dumbledore's Request

**Chapter 5: Dumbledore's Request**

In the evening Dumbledore showed up at the Black Manor and joined them all for dinner. Mr. Weasley. Remus Lupin, and Tonks had returned earlier, and Dumbledore had said that Snape and a few others might drop in as well, after dinner. Harry wondered if there was going to be a meeting of the Order and whether he should do something to make sure the Dursleys returned to their room before it started. But when dinner was cleared, Dumbledore stood and invited them all, Dursleys and Grangers included, into the drawing room. When everyone was seated, they looked up at Dumbledore expectantly. "As soon as Professors Snape, McGonagall and Hagrid have arrived we will be able to begin," he said, looking mainly at Harry's quizzical face.

"Hagrid is coming?" Harry asked cheerfully, "What's going on Professor?"

"We have some business to attend to, Harry. It is really quite fortunate that your relatives are here tonight, since it saves us the effort of bringing this meeting to their home."

Harry wondered what sort of Order meeting would need to be held at the Dursleys' house. He noticed his Uncle Vernon looked equally perplexed at the prospect of a meeting of wizards under his own roof. Dumbledore winked, and Harry wondered if the old professor wasn't having a spot of fun at Uncle Vernon's expense. Uncle Vernon seemed about to voice a protest of some kind, but he was cut off when the door to the drawing room opened and Hagrid stepped in. Having remembered Hagrid from before Harry's first year, Uncle Vernon spat out a vehement, "You!" and was promptly cut off again as the door once again opened to reveal Professors Snape and McGonagall. Aunt Petunia looked terrified as she eyed the dark Potions Professor and huddled closer to her husband as though she hoped to disappear behind him. What was most curious, though, was the way Snape seemed to think he was seeing a ghost when he looked at Petunia. Harry mused that his mother and her sister must bare some resemblance that caused Snape to see her that way. Still, Harry wondered if there was more to it than that. 'But how could there be," he thought, 'they've surely never met before.'

Dumbledore brought the meeting to order at that point and everyone fell silent as they waited for him to speak.

"I have brought all of you here tonight to take care of some most unpleasant business and to share some interesting news," he began. "As you all have already learned, the Dursleys' home," Dumbledore motioned toward Uncle Vernon and the cowering Aunt Petunia, "was invaded by Death Eaters two days ago. While Harry was able to successfully remove his family from any danger, there is still the question of how they were able to enter in the first place, and what we can do to prevent the same from occurring again, especially at a time when they are all at home and cannot as easily escape. We need to either strengthen the wards surrounding their current home, or if necessary, find them a new place to live and a secret keeper to prevent a similar occurrence. Professor Snape, I believe you had a word or two to share with us on this matter?"

"I have learned," the Dark Professor began, "that the Death Eaters were able to pass by the wards because they used polyjuice potion to transform young Mr. Malfoy into a replica of Potter, who in turn invited the others in. Malfoy meant it as a vengeance against Potter for having revealed his father as a Death Eater. Therefore, I do not believe that strengthening the wards will suffice. It is my opinion that the Dursleys should be moved to a new and undisclosed location and that even I not be told where that place is. There should be a secret keeper of Potter's choosing for the home and another for Mr. Dursley's place of work. It may also be advisable to place an invisible guard at their son's school to keep him and any innocent by-standers safe from harm."

Harry let out a low whistle. The fury he felt at Malfoy for this bit of revenge paled in comparison to the oddness that surrounded the idea of putting the Dursleys into hiding in such a manner. Harry wondered if Uncle Vernon would ever be able to return to work.

"Very well, Severus, it shall be as you request, but I must ask you why you prefer not to know their whereabouts." Dumbledore responded.

"The less I know, the less can be extracted from me," was Snape's cryptic reply. Harry thought he knew what that was about. Snape was a superb occlumens, but no one was a better legilimens than Voldemort. With Snape working as spy, he couldn't afford to be given too much sensitive information. This seemed straight forward to Harry, but Dumbledore seemed concerned.

"We shall have to discuss that after this meeting is over," he told Snape. "Harry, I shall expect a decision as to your secret keeper in the morning, and Hermione, I would like you to choose one for your parents as well. In the meantime, we have a bit of interesting news to share with you, Harry. And it concerns your relatives some as well. It seems that your Godfather left a will, dated around Christmastime last year. I have a copy of it here for you to review." Dumbledore held a short stack of parchment out toward Harry, and Harry reluctantly took it from him.

"Do you mean to say that his murderous Godfather is dead and has left the boy something?" Uncle Vernon seemed outraged that he had not been told about Sirius's death.

"Precisely, Mr. Dursley," Dumbledore dismissed Uncle Vernon, "Harry, do you need any assistance with the legal language of that?"

"Um…well, I'm not sure, but I think it says here that this house is mine, now," Harry began, feeling bemused.

"That is correct, Harry. You will find there is also the mention of two vaults at Gringott's Wizard Bank and all of the belongings within the house. There is a small stipulation that you allow me, and a few others that you know of," Harry knew Dumbledore meant the Order, "access to the house. As you are yet underage, you will require a caretaker, or guardian of some sort, to stay here with you. I will allow you, Harry, to choose whom you would like as your new guardian."

"Well, I guess, either the Weasleys, or Professor Lupin," Harry responded thoughtfully.

"We'd be honored, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley, "but we might have a time jumping back and forth between here and the Burrow."

"Yeah, I suppose so, well, Professor Lupin, then. Can that be arranged?" Harry asked tentatively. He wasn't sure how Lupin felt toward him now that he'd gone and lured Sirius to his death.

"Of course it can, Harry," Lupin said, and Harry was relieved to note there was no trace of malice in the werewolf's voice. "I'll have to return to my place when the moon is full, but I can be here all the rest of the time. I'm honored that you would choose me, Harry. And please, call me Remus, since I am no longer your professor."

Harry smiled, but felt strange about these odd events. It just didn't seem right for Sirius to be gone. He wished for the thousandth time that he could go back and start the month of June over again from the beginning. He wished he had not been so stupid and led his friends and Sirius into so much trouble. Exposing Malfoy's Dad, even revealing Voldemort's return to the wizarding world, just wasn't worth what it had cost him.

"Very well, then. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, you are hereby released from your obligations as Harry's caregiver and Remus, that duty is now yours. Just one bit of business to finish up with, then," Dumbledore's words pulled Harry's mind back to the situation at hand. "An owl arrived this morning at each of your homes, and I have had some people retrieve the letters for you three," he looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione each in turn. "These are your OWL results. Your start of term letters should be arriving as well in about three weeks. Not to worry, the letters will be retrieved for you then as well." Harry wondered why the owls did not seem to be able to find them at Grimmauld Place, and thought briefly that there must be some protective reason for that.

"Unless anyone else has anything to add, then, I believe this concludes our business here tonight." Dumbledore finished.

"Just one thing," Uncle Vernon began, "Just where do you intend for us to live, and do we get any say in this?"

"You will continue on here until we find a suitable residence for you, Mr. Dursley, and yes, your approval will be sought before finalizing any plans. You will also continue to own the house on Privet Drive, as a diversionary tactic. We will make it appear to the neighbors as though you are still there and nothing out of the ordinary has happened. There will be a guard posted at the door as well, who will inform us immediately if any dark wizards should return to the place. Will that suffice, Mr. Dursley?" Dumbledore explained all of this with the patience of a Kindergarten teacher with an exceptionally unruly five year old.

Uncle Vernon, who seemed to have lost his newly reacquired vehemence, nodded quietly.

"I have arranged for a portkey to transport you to and from work once you have moved into your new home. Hagrid, here, will escort you to ensure your safe arrival. I believe you have met Rubeus Hagrid once before?" Dumbledore went on.

"You can't mean _him_?" Uncle Vernon gestured disgustedly toward the half-giant across the room from him.

"Not teh worry, Dursley," Hagrid reassured the old walrus, "I won' let nothin' harm yeh. You'll be righ' safe with me."

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger," Dumbledore directed his attention to the other side of the room. "We shall be arranging a portkey for your transportation as well. You should be able to return to your dental office in the morning and continue on that way until the summer ends and you are at home again."

"Thank you, Dumbledore," Mr. Granger responded politely. Harry couldn't help wishing his relatives would take a page out of their book.

"Well, then," Dumbledore smiled at Hagrid pleasantly, "this meeting is adjourned. Harry, I have somewhat more to discuss with the others, but I would appreciate a word with you in private later, if you don't mind waiting up for me for a little while."

"Sure, Professor," Harry said.

Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and Hagrid left the room first and went into the adjacent study. Lupin nodded to Harry before taking Tonks by the arm and following after them. Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny and said quietly, "This is an Order meeting, now, please keep everyone else out for a few hours," and then she went through the same door. The Dursleys and Grangers were talking quietly with one another on one of the couches in the drawing room. Harry thought he knew how to get at least his relatives to leave the room.

"Anyone for desert?" He asked, hoping he'd be able to find something tasty in the pantry, "or some butterbeer?"

Dudley arose immediately and headed for the kitchen, his parents following close behind. Soon everyone was sitting at the table again enjoying a fruit salad and butterbeers and discussing what had transpired in the meeting.

Harry and his friends remained in the kitchen long after the Dursleys and the Grangers retired to their rooms. They discussed their OWL results and Ginny's upcoming OWL tests while waiting for the Order meeting to end so that Ron could show his parents his results, and Harry could have his talk with Dumbledore.

"Your Mum and Dad seemed quite pleased with your results," Harry said to Hermione, a hint of a chuckle in his voice.

Hermione blushed a bit. She had gotten straight O's in every subject, as expected, and now clearly had the highest grade average of anyone in the school. "Yes, I suppose they were," she said modestly.

"Are you kidding?" Ron exclaimed, "They promised you a cruise next summer! Do you think they'll let you bring a few friends along?"

"Oh Ron," Hermione blushed furiously now. "I'm sure your parents will be just as pleased with your results. I'll bet you got more OWLs than Percy."

"No, thank goodness, I didn't, but I got more than Fred and George," Ron looked rather pleased with himself. "Still, don't spread that around."

"Of course, mate, it's our secret," Harry promised.

"I dunno," teased Ginny, "a secret like that might cost you something, Ron."

Ron looked abashed. "Cost me what, Ginny?" he asked his sister warily.

"Oh, I dunno, some time with you all to help me study for my own OWLs coming up end of this year?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

"Of course, Ginny," Hermione responded quickly when Ron hesitated. "We'd be happy to help you, _wouldn't we?_"

"Uh…sure, Gin," Ron said slowly.

"Our pleasure," Harry said, a little too honestly. Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him. "I mean, it's the least we can do for you to not go getting Ron in trouble with the kings of pranks," he joked, and they all laughed and talked about the incident at Hogwarts last term that had come to be known as Fred and George's Last Laugh.

"Well, it seems you finally took my advice and studied for once," Hermione said when the subject had come back around to grades again.

"Actually, I just took your notes and studied, 'Mione," Ron teased. "As long as you keep going to class, I'll pass my NEWTs just fine, won't I?"

Hermione looked cross, "Oh, so you think you can skim through by virtue of being my friend do you," she scolded, and Harry smiled inwardly when Ron turned to him then and winked. "Well, maybe I won't let you see my notes anymore."

"Oh come on, 'Mione," Ron whined, "you can't honestly expect me to pay attention to those boring teachers when reading your notes is so much more interesting," he said, attempting a little flattery.

"You mean, when reading my notes gets you out of thinking for yourself. No, my mind is made up, no more sharing notes. If you want to pass your NEWTs you will simply have to do your own work from now on."

"You don't really mean that, do you Hermione?" Ron was looking slightly desperate.

"Yes, I do," she assured him. "Same goes for you, Harry."

"Me?" he asked, suddenly finding their argument less humorous, "What did I do?"

But Harry and Ron could both tell the subject was closed. Harry wondered how long her resolve would last this time. He noticed Ginny giggling at them as they argued and suddenly realized just how ridiculous the whole thing had really been. He smiled warmly at Ginny as they seemed to share that thought.

They all fell silent, Hermione looking firmly away from a scowling Ron and Harry and Ginny looking on in amusement. In the quiet of that moment they heard the click, clunk of a door opening and closing and the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Several voices were bidding farewell to one another as they heard the front door open and close. Ron suddenly looked nervous, and Harry knew he was wondering what his parents would say about his grades. A few moments later Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen followed closely by Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore, whom Harry assumed would being using the kitchen fire to floo back to Hogwarts.

"So, children, how about those tests?" Mr. Weasley began. Ron, Harry and Hermione each passed them their OWL result sheets and Ginny looked on, waiting to see what her parents would say when they saw Ron's exceptional grades.

"Oh my goodness," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed looking over Ron's results. "Seven OWLs Ron, that's wonderful. This is incredible! How'd you manage it Ron?" Mrs. Weasley's joy seemed to take on a curious tone.

"It's all Hermione's fault," Ron answered, obviously trying a bit more flattery on her, "She helped us both study a bunch."

"Well, I can see you've rubbed off on them a bit, Hermione. I hope that trend will continue until they've taken their NEWTs." Mr. Weasley commented, and Hermione blushed again. Harry knew it wouldn't be long now before she gave up her resolve not to let them use her notes.

"My goodness, Hermione, all O's" Mrs. Weasley announced, looking over her parchment. That's terrific. What will you take this year then, since it seems you'll have your pick?"

"Well, I intend to continue all my studies. I couldn't imagine which one I wouldn't need in a career someday."

"Well, you'll certainly be busy, then, won't you," Mr. Weasley noted with one eyebrow raised.

"And Harry dear, seven Owls for you as well, then. That's terrific. I'd say a celebration is in order, wouldn't you dear?" Mrs. Weasley said, turning to her husband.

"Absolutely. We'll have a bash, invite the whole Order. What do you say, Albus?" Mr. Weasley addressed the aged Professor.

"Perfectly right," he responded cheerfully. He and Professor McGonagall smiled broadly at them.

"Well done, all of you," Professor McGonagall supplied.

"Harry," Professor Dumbledore addressed him. "May I have a moment?"

"Sure Professor," Harry replied and eyed his friends nervously.

"We'll be waiting for you upstairs, Harry." Hermione said, taking the two youngest Weasleys each by the arm and leading them out the kitchen door.

"I will be in my office, Professor Dumbledore, if you should need me," said Professor McGonagall as she stepped into the fire and promptly vanished.

"Harry," Professor Dumbledore began once they were alone, "I need to discuss something of great importance with you."

"O.K," Harry looked up into the lined face of the old Professor, but was pleased to see the familiar twinkle in his eye.

"Dumbledore's Army, Harry," said the Professor, and Harry's face suddenly fell.

"I'm sorry about that, Professor, I didn't mean to cause so much trouble," Harry began his apology, but Dumbledore cut him off.

"You misunderstand me, Harry. That was the greatest honor any student has ever given me. I was both pleased and amazed that you had taken matters into your own hands so efficiently and expertly. Every student who was in your group scored an O in their Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL."

"They did?" Harry was amazed.

"It was the best bit of defense instruction that has occurred within the walls of Hogwarts since your first year, Harry."

"Really," Harry was stunned at this revelation.

"Really," Professor Dumbledore assured him. "And so I wondered if I could ask you to take on a heavier burden than I have asked of any student since I began as Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Harry fell silent as Dumbledore surveyed his pleased but curious expression. "I wondered, Harry, if you would continue the D.A. as a club that is available to all students, in all houses. We have selected a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, and she will be able to assist you in anyway she can, but I daresay, you know as much as she does on the subject, if not more. I would also like you to help our new Professor with some of the younger students. The second, third and fourth years are dreadfully behind in their studies, and I'm not sure how much any one teacher can do to bring them up to the level they should have achieved by now. I had hoped that if you and the defense professor worked together, we might be able to pull off some more favorable results. What do you say, Harry?"

Harry was shocked. He had no idea what to say. Instead he asked, "Who's the new professor, sir?" If he were going to work with someone, he hoped it wouldn't be an old hag like Umbridge.

"You must promise me you will not reveal her identity to the other students before start of term," Professor Dumbledore's eyes seemed to twinkle more brightly just then.

"I promise," Harry said, somewhat reluctantly. He knew it would be a hard secret to keep from his friends.

"Should you accept my proposal, Harry, you will be working alongside Professor Nymphadora Tonks." Dumbledore supplied.

"Tonks?!" Harry exclaimed in amazement. "That's terrific, Professor!"

"I thought you would be pleased," Professor Dumbledore replied, "Does that mean you accept the job of assistant teacher and Club President of Dumbledore's Army?"

"Wow, that sounds so official," Harry said, suddenly realizing the weight of the assignment he was being given. "Yeah, I suppose so. Can we still use the Room of Requirement, sir? It seemed to suit us quite well before."

"That will be fine, Harry, as long as your group fits in there. You may find that opening the club to the rest of the school will undoubtedly increase the size of your group. There are quite a few students who are anxious to be able to protect themselves and their loved ones, now that they are aware of Voldemort's return. You may eventually find the Great Hall is a more suitable place to hold meetings."

"What if I were to separate the D.A. according to ability levels into two or three groups, sir? Could that be arranged?"

"Certainly, Harry, I think that is a wonderful idea. I believe the sorting hat may prove to be useful to you as an impartial judge of who to place where. You might also consider appointing one or two assistants for each group who are as advanced, or nearly so, as you. Good luck, Harry. I'm glad to have you on board as both student and staff this year." Dumbledore smiled broadly.

"Staff, sir?" Harry queried him.

"Yes, Harry, the students in the classes you help teach will need to respect you sufficiently to learn from you. I will therefore award you powers equal to those of a prefect so that you can give and take away house points and administer detentions as needed. I will, however, ask you to restrict your point giving and detentions to those students who are in the classes you are teaching. I wouldn't want you settling old rivalries with these privileges."

"Yes, sir," Harry understood that Dumbledore was referring to Malfoy and his cronies. "Thank you for trusting me with this, sir."

"Even old men sometimes learn from their mistakes, Harry. If I had only entrusted you more last year, things might have been very different for you." The old professor looked suddenly very sad. Harry knew he was thinking about Sirius and the Department of Mysteries. Harry resolved, at that moment, that he would do anything the Professor asked of him this year. If only he had done that before. Sirius might still be here, now.

"Your parents and Sirius would be very proud of you if they could see you now, Harry." Dumbledore commented as he moved toward the fire. "I'll see you soon, Harry." And with that, the old man turned, stepped into the fire and was gone again. Harry sat for a long time at the kitchen table contemplating what he had just agreed to. He suddenly wondered if there were any extendable ears outside the kitchen door. He arose and walked quickly to the door and wrenched it open. Three skin colored strings seemed to roll themselves up and away from him as he followed them down the hall and up the stairs to Ginny and Hermione's room. They slid under the girls' door just as he reached it and knocked. He heard Ron curse under his breath and someone scrambling around hurriedly before Hermione opened the door, smiling a little too sweetly.

"Harry, how'd it go?" she asked, as if she did not already know.

"Fine, fine," he responded, trying hard not to laugh. "But since you all know that already, I shall simply have to best you all at another pillow fight!" he added, picking up Ginny's pillow and tossing it at Ron. They enjoyed a raucously good time as they tossed pillows, tickled, and pounced on one another. It was only when Ron ended up pinning Hermione to her bed, her face flushed and eyes wide that they all stopped. Ron stood up slowly, apologizing quietly to Hermione, who didn't seem to be as upset as Ron seemed to think she'd be. She tossed one last pillow at him, and then turned to Harry.

"So, you're teaching are you?" she asked, smiling still, her eyes darting back to Ron a few times to see if he'd toss the pillow back at her.

"Yeah, I guess I am, just second, third and fourth years, though. And we're having the D.A. again, though I suppose you heard that, too. It occurred to him then that they may also have overheard the name of their new professor. "Did you hear about the Defense teacher?"

"Yeah," said Ginny, "That's gonna be great. But we won't tell, will we guys?"

"Course not, Harry," Ron agreed. "We wouldn't want to get you in trouble spreading that around."

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Besides, who knows who might have it in for Tonks if they found out before it was announced at Hogwarts?" Harry added.

"You mean Snape," Ron said.

"Yeah, but who knows who else. I mean, the last thing a Death Eater wants taught to Dumbledore's students is Defense Against the Dark Arts, right? Who knows how many undiscovered Death Eaters there are out there still." Harry warned them.

"Good point, Harry, maybe we shouldn't have listened at all, then. Like Snape said, the less we know…." Hermione trailed off, not wanting to fully contemplate the idea of a Death Eater trying to extract information from their brains against their will.

"Well," Harry tried to sooth them, "They don't know that we know about it, do they? So I suppose we're safe enough so long as we don't discuss it at all, right? So we'll just put it out of our minds, then, until start of term."

"Right, no matter how tempting it is to rub it in Malfoy's nose that we know something he doesn't" Ron agreed, smiling wistfully.

"O.K," agreed Ginny, "So, who do you think will join the D.A, now that it's open to the school?" she asked them.

"I hope Malfoy doesn't get any funny ideas about coming." Ron said, making a face like he'd just smelled something rotten.

"I doubt he'll want anything to do with a club that has a muggle-born for a secretary," Hermione answered him.

"You're probably right," said Harry, "but just to be sure, maybe we could put a spell on the notices so that only pure-intentioned persons will be able to read them."

"Good idea, Harry. Do you know how to do that?" asked Ginny.

"No," he said, looking at Hermione pointedly.

"Neither do I," said Hermione, "but I would bet we could find something if we study up on it. There is probably a way. I'll look into it for us.

"Thanks, 'Mione," Ron said, using his new nickname for her again. Harry noticed Ron was doing that a lot lately. He wondered how Hermione felt about it. He studied her face a moment as she gazed at Ron and decided she must not mind it much as she wasn't telling him off or looking put out at all.

"Well," said Harry, "I suppose Ron and I ought to be getting to bed soon."

"Yeah…" said Ron, not really listening to Harry, but just admiring Hermione still.

"OK, then," Harry said, "Let's go, Ron."

"What? Oh, OK, Harry, I'm coming," Ron replied, getting up slowly from Ginny's bed, where he had been sitting. Harry suppressed a chuckle as he and Ron exited the room and went into their own.

"So, Ron, had any luck with Hermione yet?" Harry teased.

"Oh, Harry," Ron blushed, "I don't know what to think. One minute I think she hates me, and the next I think I might just have a chance. What am I going to do?"

"You might try telling her how you feel," Harry suggested.

"But what if she doesn't feel that way and starts to feel all awkward around me?" Ron worried, "It could ruin our friendship. I'd rather have her friendship than nothing, Harry. By the way, did you ask her about Krum, yet?"

"Yeah, I did. Nothing to worry about there mate. I really don't think she fancies him. She asked me if you were mad at her, said something about you not talking to her anymore."

"She's not wrong, Harry. I never know what to say anymore. It used to be so fun to rile her up, but now I'm scared I'll make her too mad and she won't forgive me one of these times."

"You did fine at it in the kitchen, tonight," Harry said.

"I suppose," Ron said, looking a bit guilty, "But I held my tongue so many times I thought I'd bite it right off if I didn't say something soon."

"Bit of advice, Ron," Harry said, "just be yourself. You want her to like you for who you really are, not for someone you're just trying to be for her sake. She hasn't given up on your friendship in all this time. I don't know why she would want you to change now."

"Yeah, I suppose," Ron said again. "Well, what else can I do but be myself? Still, I get all tongue tied when she looks at me."

"I know what you mean," Harry said, "That used to happen to me whenever Cho showed up. Funny, I didn't feel that way anymore when I saw her last on the train."

"Does that mean you're over her?" Ron asked.

"I think it does," Harry said, "Besides, I think there's someone else better than her, ya know?"

"Who, Harry? Have you got a crush on someone?"

"I'm not saying, Ron," _because you'd kill me if you knew_, Harry thought to himself.

"Oh, come on, Harry, I told you about mine." Ron complained.

"Later," Harry reassured him, "I'm just not ready yet."

"All right, mate, but you will tell me before you ask her out, won't you?"

"Absolutely," Harry said. He knew he'd have to not only tell Ron, but get his blessing as well, if he were ever to ask Ginny Weasley out. Both boys fell asleep contemplating the girls in the other room.


	6. The Snake and the Flower

**Chapter 6: The Snake and the Flower**

A few days later the four friends were lounging in Harry and Ron's room after dinner, staying out of the way while the Order held a meeting. Their conversation was made up of the usual things.

"So what do you think You-Know-Who will do now that everyone knows he's back?" Ron asked dolefully.

"Well, he won't stay in hiding much longer, will he?" Hermione suggested.

"Do you suppose that's what the Order is discussing downstairs?" Ginny looked more curious than worried.

"I expect they've been discussing that for weeks now," Harry replied, almost too casually. He was trying hard not to betray any emotion just now.

"It's already been a while and he still hasn't done anything big." Hermione interjected.

"Well, it's something to be grateful for, really. I don't want to see that skull in the sky again anytime soon," Ron commented.

"That was eerie, for sure," Ginny said. "Imagine if it was over your house when you came home. It would wrench your gut out."

They all fell silent for a moment, each quietly praying that his or her house would never be found crowned by the Dark Mark and empty of all life within. Harry decided it was time for a lighter topic.

"What do you say to a round of exploding snap?" he offered. They all accepted and the game took off. After four rounds of exploding snap and a wizard's chess playoff, which Ron won hands down, they were about to separate to their beds for the night when there was a knock at the door. Harry walked to the door and opened it, expecting Mrs. Weasley to be there telling them all to get to bed. He was surprised to find the last person in the house that he'd have expected.

"Can I come in?" asked an awkward and frightened looking Dudley. Harry stood rooted to the spot, speechless. "Dad's sleeping and Mum went to the loo. I couldn't stand being with my parents any longer. They're driving me nuts."

"Of course you can come in," Hermione said pushing Harry aside and smiling sweetly at Dudley. "We'll teach you to play wizard's chess."

"Is it like regular chess?" Dudley asked, suddenly seeming to perk up.

"Mostly," said Harry, finally finding his voice. "But the chess pieces are more, uhm, animated."

"How do you mean?"

"Why don't you see for yourself," Harry brought the board over for Dudley to see. He got out a new set of pieces and smiled when the white queen waved up at them. Dudley took a step back, looking from Harry to Hermione as though begging an explanation.

"They're charmed to be a bit more realistic," Hermione told him. "Don't worry, they stay on the board. You don't even have to touch them. Just tell them where you want them to go."

Ron sat across the board from Dudley, and the game began. On his first move, the pieces failed to acknowledge Dudley's voice, so Hermione looked something up in the instructions and explained that only wizards could move pieces by vocal command. So Dudley took to telling Hermione where to move each piece, and the game recommenced. It was a long, well played game. But at the end there was a clear winner.

"Check mate," said Dudley, looking proud of himself.

"That's amazing," said Ron, "You skunked me. No one's done that for ages. Not even Harry."

"Good game, Dud," Harry conceded. They all laughed, and Ron and Hermione went to the kitchen and came back with butterbeers and potato crisps. By the time Dudley returned to the Dursleys room, Harry realized he had had his first enjoyable encounter ever with his overweight cousin. He wondered again at the way his two worlds were converging and changing. It almost made his head spin to think about it. They all retired to their beds after Dudley left, and Harry fell asleep quickly.

_There was a fountain of water, in a lovely garden. The water was flowing and dancing about in the basin, like a thousand tiny fairies celebrating under the glow of the moon. A young woman walked out of the shadows and sat beside the fountain. She looked up at the Unicorn statue in the fountain and smiled peacefully. Then she looked around and seemed to notice something. She smiled and stood, and Harry realized she was looking at him. She approached him swiftly, seemingly floating along the stones under her bare feet. Her red hair glistened in the moist air; her eyes danced and sparkled as she looked into his. Her face was coming nearer, her lips were pressing against his…._

Harry awoke with a start and checked the clock. He had been asleep for only a few hours. He knew who she was now, the girl in his dream. He shook his head and looked at Ron who was snoring softly. He decided a cool drink of water would be just the thing to help him clear his mind so he could get back to sleep. He quietly slipped out from under his covers and into the hall, taking care not to let the door slam shut. He tip-toed down the hallway to the stairs and stopped short when he heard voices coming from the room to the right off the landing below. He crept slowly and silently down the steps to the door of that room. He knew those voices only too well. But he could not for the life of him understand why they would be conversing with each other.

"…I'm so sorry, Severus," Aunt Petunia's voice came from within the room. "I thought you had…that you had become…."

"You were not wrong," spoke the voice of Hogwarts' Potions Master. Harry thought he heard the rustle of fabric, and then Aunt Petunia's gasp.

"But…But then why? Why are you here? Why do they allow you?" Petunia sounded more frightened than confused.

"I was a fool, and I paid for that foolishness by losing you," said Snape. Harry sucked in his breath. Could he really be hearing what he thought he was hearing? "I know it's too late to repair the damage I have done to us, but I just wanted you to know. When Peter betrayed them, when I saw him enter and tell us all where they were and how to reach them, I knew how wrong I had been. I went to great lengths that night to keep them alive. I did everything I could do. But I knew if I exposed my lack of loyalty it would mean my life as well. I owed James my life, arrogant and foolish as he was. The life debt did not release me, even when James and Lily died. It binds me to their son to this day, as I believe it does you.

"Yes," Petunia replied shakily. "Even if Dumbledore released Vernon from his care, I will never be free of the ungrateful brat. They saved my life more than once, and I never even tried to repay them. I had no idea…"

"You have done more than you know, Petunia. The safety of that 'ungrateful brat,' as you call him, is the main concern of the Order now. Just by the shelter you have provided for him, you have done more to preserve the entire wizarding world than I have ever done in my efforts within the Order. We are all extremely grateful to you. You are his only link to his mother's blood."

"If only I had known about you…."

Harry heard the slight shuffling of feet and Petunia's muffled sigh.

"I have always loved you, Petunia," Snape whispered, "More than anything, it was you that made me unsuitable to the Dark Lord's ranks. In a way, you saved my life as well. If there is ever any way I can be of assistance to you or your family…."

"Severus…"

"I know. You love Vernon, and I respect that. I will never try to come between the two of you. Just know, if you ever have need of a wizard's services, I am at your disposal."

"Thank you."

Harry turned and crept silently up the steps as quickly as he could go. Abandoning his original objective and ignoring his thirst, he slipped quietly back into his room. He sat on his bed in shock. He knew he could never tell anyone what he had heard. He prayed he would never give Snape entry to his mind again. The news that Snape and Aunt Petunia had once been…no, he could not bring himself to even think of it. It was just too strange. But then, it also explained a lot. How else had Aunt Petunia known what Dementors were and how wizards travel by floo powder? Why else would she have denied the very existence of the wizarding world for so long if not because of a broken heart? It even made sense as to why she had hated his mother so… if Petunia and Snape had once been…on the same team, so to speak, they might have hated his Mum and Dad for very different reasons than what Petunia had described before Harry's first year. Harry had to hand it to Aunt Petunia. She had been a good actress for quite a while. It was not because Lily had been a "freak" in Petunia's mind. It was because Petunia was jealous that Lily and James were happy together, while she and Snape….

"Whoa!" Harry thought aloud in a hoarse whisper, "This is just too weird." He lay atop his covers for hours, knowing that sleep would not return to him tonight. He wondered how he would manage to keep this secret. It would be terrible of him to ever divulge what he had heard. Not to mention it could get him killed by Snape. He thought also of Sirius and wondered if he had known. If he had, it wasn't any wonder why he'd never mentioned it. His mind wandered back to the scene in Snape's pensieve as well, when Lily had defended Snape. Had she done that because she knew her sister loved him? Questions formed in Harry's mind, like, how had they met, how did they manage to see each other, why did it end? Harry thought he might go mad if he didn't talk to anyone about this. Then he thought of Lupin. Surely, if anyone still living knew about Snape and Aunt Petunia, it was Lupin, the last of the Marauders. He would have to find a way to determine if Lupin knew without giving himself away. He spent the remainder of the night going over plans for asking Lupin about it.


	7. Dementors in Diagon Alley

**Chapter 7: Diagon Alley**

It was about a week and a half after the Dursleys and Harry had arrived at Grimmauld Place that Dumbledore finally found a temporary residence for the Dursleys that they would agree to use. Harry had chosen Mr. Weasley as secret keeper for them, and Order members had been back to repair the house at Privet Drive and continued to guard it. Lupin had moved into one of the attic rooms as Harry's guardian, and he had taken an interest in Harry's education.

"I still think you should take Arithmancy like Hermione in place of Divination," Lupin prodded Harry again as they worked in the study together. Harry was planning out his Defense lessons with the second through fourth years and his D.A. meeting schedule, and Lupin was looking up some information Dumbledore had requested.

"I dunno, Pro…" Harry began. "I mean…Remus," Harry responded, unused to calling Lupin by his first name, but not wanting to offend him. "Anyway, I don't know about starting Arithmancy so late. I'd be with a lot of third years and some of them will be in my defense class. It would feel strange to be fellow student and teacher to the same people," he explained.

"Perhaps," said Lupin, "but I think it would come in handy during Auror training. A lot of trainees have to learn it from scratch when they get there, and the ones who know it already get to do more of the physical training instead. Tonks was telling me about it just yesterday."

"You seem to spend a lot of time with Tonks these days, Remus. Is something going on there?" Harry teased, trying to change the subject.

"We're good friends, Harry," Remus responded to Harry's teasing question, breaking Harry out of his thoughts. "But werewolves are not allowed, by law, to raise a family, so Tonks and I, or any other woman for that matter, could never allow anything to exceed friendship." Remus seemed bitterly sad, then, and Harry was suddenly sorry he had asked.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Harry said honestly, "you deserve better than that. I can't imagine a better father figure than you. But I'm confused. How come you can be my guardian, but can't have children of your own?"

"Because, Harry, _some_ people at the Ministry," and Harry was quite sure Remus meant people like Umbridge, "don't realize that this condition cannot be passed on from parent to child unless I were to bite my own child. Also, I'm not sure Dumbledore has actually made an official declaration of guardianship for you with the Ministry. And as you'll be of age next year, he may not have to at all."

"I see," Harry said, and smiled at Dumbledore's wisdom and generosity. "So how come you can't get away with that when it comes to Tonks?" Harry asked. "I've seen the way you look at her when you two are together." _It's just the way Ron looks at Hermione!_ He thought to himself.

"And what about the way you look at Ginny?" Remus commented, clearly trying to divert the conversation.

Harry blushed profusely, "No fair, Remus, turning this around on me," he complained.

"Oh, I think turnabout is quite fair indeed," Remus teased him.

"OK, OK, I admit it. I have a crush on my best mate's little sister. Are you happy now? So now that I've admitted my crush, it's your turn, Remus. Or is turnabout only fair play when I get the brunt of it?" Harry pressed him.

"Yeah, all right, Harry," Remus admitted. "In a perfect world, I wouldn't be a werewolf, and Tonks would have a new last name by now. But it's not a perfect world, is it Harry?"

"No, I guess it isn't," Harry sighed, thinking about Ginny and how hard it would be just to ask her out, even if he wasn't a werewolf. "But when I'm Minister of Magic, I swear the first thing I'll do is lift the ban on werewolf marriages!" Harry added, trying to lighten the mood some.

"All right, Harry," Remus laughed lightly, "But by that time, I'm afraid I'll be too old to marry anyone."

"Nah," Harry joked, "Just watch, I'll destroy Voldemort next year and everyone will think I'm some sort of hero and make me minister against my will!"

"That's not funny, Harry. What makes you think you can defeat the Dark Lord on your own?" Remus had paled at the mention of the name.

Harry suddenly realized what he had almost revealed and tried to cover quickly, "I'm sorry, Remus, I was only kidding. I didn't mean it."

Lupin looked at Harry as though examining a student who was trying to keep out of a detention, but he let the matter drop. Searching for another change of subject, Harry thought this might be a good time to see if Lupin knew anything about Snape and Aunt Petunia.

"Speaking of marriages," Harry began tentatively, "How come Snape never got married. I'd bet he'd be a more pleasant person if he had someone to smile about now and then."

Lupin looked concerned about the question, which made Harry more certain that Lupin knew. "I don't know if that's something we ought to discuss. Snape's private matters are just that, private."

"Of course," Harry said dejectedly. He didn't think he'd get anything out of Lupin this time after all.

Lupin returned to his studying, and Harry returned to his planning feeling disappointed.

Their annual Hogwarts letters showed up the day before Harry's birthday, and they made plans to visit Diagon Alley to get new school robes, books and other supplies. It was a warm, sunny Saturday when they went, and it seemed as though nothing could spoil their day. The four teenagers and Remus and Tonks sat together at Florean Fortescue's Ice cream Parlor after they finished their shopping. Harry had bought a round of Sundaes for everyone, and they were enjoying a light banter as they ate.

"The best flavor in the world has always been Vanilla," Hermione insisted.

"No way," Ginny piped up, "Chocolate, nothing beats chocolate."

"I dunno, Gin," Harry said, "Chocolate always reminds me of the time I fell off my broom because of the dementors at Hogwarts."

Everyone looked solemnly at Harry, and he felt bad having dampened the mood that way, so he said, "I personally like peanut butter fudge swirl best! That's good ice cream!"

"I'm with Harry on that one," Ron agreed, "this stuff is good!" Ron had tried the flavor on Harry's suggestion and was obviously enjoying it.

"No kidding," Hermione laughed at his gleeful expression, "Can I try a bite?" she asked.

Ron looked taken aback, "Sure," he said, picking up a spoonful and feeding it to her. Harry thought he almost saw sparks as Ron and Hermione's eyes connected, and Hermione seemed to be having a hard time looking away and back to her own cup of vanilla ice cream. "That's pretty good," she commented quietly, looking down at her spoon as though it were a text book to be studied.

"See, told you it's good," Harry said trying to pull the attention away from his two friends. He doubted they wanted everyone staring at them just then. "You want to try it, Ginny?" he asked.

"Oh, no thanks, Harry," she said, ogling Hermione as though she'd seen a ghost. "Hermione, would you like to accompany me to the rest room? I'm done here," Ginny indicated her mostly eaten cup of chocolate ice cream.

"OK, Ginny," Hermione agreed, and the two girls got up from the table and walked into the shop.

"What is it with girls going into the bathroom together?" Ron asked watching the doorway Hermione had just passed through as though willing her to come back.

"I know what you mean," Harry said. "I couldn't ask Cho to the Yule Ball fourth year because her friends were always around her, even when they went to the bathroom."

Remus and Tonks exchanged a knowing look and smiled at one another.

"I suppose we'll have to ask them sometime…." Harry began, but stopped speaking when a piercing sensation ran from his forehead to his fingertips. Harry suddenly bent over his ice cream cup, clutching his scar with both hands.

"What is it, Harry," Remus asked, sounding concerned.

"My scar," Harry responded weakly, "something's wrong. We should get back!"

"I'll get the girls," Ron said, getting up from his chair and walking quickly into the shop.

Suddenly the air around them seemed to chill and the noise of the shoppers in the alley dimmed in Harry's ears. He could hear screaming in the distance, and knew what it had to mean. "Remus," he breathed, panic in his voice, "dementors."

Remus got to his feet and pulled out his wand, Tonks following closely behind him. They stared in every direction. Harry went into the shop to find the others. They had to get back to the Leaky Cauldron immediately. He found Ron standing outside the women's bathroom, knocking on the door impatiently.

"Come on, you need to come out now. It's important," he was saying.

Hermione's muffled voice could be heard from within the room, "Something's wrong with Ginny! I think she's fainted."

It was all Harry needed to know. He rushed over and slammed his body into the door. It cracked a little but didn't give way. "Come on, Ron, push with me," he called. The two of them heaved themselves against the door, tumbling in as it opened. Hermione looked up at them, concern etched all over her face.

"I don't know what's wrong with her. One minute she was fine and we were talking and the next she just passed out. And why is it so cold in here?" she said.

"Dementors," Harry said by way of explanation, "Here in Diagon Alley. We have to get away from here." Harry scooped Ginny up in his arms and ran from the bathroom, Ron and Hermione close at his heels. Just as they were exiting the shop, Harry spotted the dark specters headed straight for them. He looked around for Remus and Tonks and saw them a few feet away, wands aloft, shouting.

"Expecto Patronum," Lupin yelled, aiming his wand. A silver wolf erupted from his wand and charged after the dementors. They fell back, but more came from the left of Lupin and began to bare down upon him.

Tonks lifted her wand deftly toward them and cried, "Expecto Patronum," a silver badger flew at the next set of dementors and repelled them, but another pair emerged from behind them and Remus directed his patronus at them just before they reached Tonks.

"Go Harry, get them out of here," Lupin called, "we'll hold them off and then apparate to you. Quickly now, go!!"

Harry and his friends ducked back down the alley toward the Leaky Cauldron. Order members seemed to be popping up all over everywhere as they went. Harry wondered why they had not seen any death eaters yet. They ducked into the pub and hurried over to the fireplace. They waited while a mother with two little children clinging to her legs stepped into the fireplace and vanished. Then Ron motioned for Harry to go in with Ginny first.

"We'll be right behind you," Ron said when Harry looked at them quizzically.

"You better be, or I'll be back here to collect you as soon as I've set Ginny down." He warned them.

"Go," Hermione commanded. Harry stepped in and said, "Number 12, Grimmauld Place," and dropped his handful of powder on the flames. With a swirl and a gasp he was gone, passing through the floo network holding Ginny's arms in so that her elbows wouldn't get bumped. He stepped out into the kitchen of the Black Manor, and set Ginny down on a chair at the table. He waited a few minutes and then prepared himself to go back to the leaky cauldron, but Hermione suddenly appeared in the flames, followed closely by a pale faced, red eared Ron.

"I was about to come after you two," Harry scolded them for their brief pause in returning. "What kept you?"

"Nothing," Ron mumbled, looking at his feet, but Harry could have sworn he saw a twinge of a smile playing at his lips. Harry looked to Hermione for an explanation, but she had turned her attention to Ginny, patting her arm and attempting to wake her.

"Ginny, Ginny, wake up, it's over. We're back at headquarters now." Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper.

Slowly Ginny stirred, then opened her eyes. She jumped back when she saw the three of them hovering over her and seemed confused about where she was. "What happened?" she asked them.

"You passed out because there were dementors in Diagon Alley," Harry explained. "We brought you here. Lupin and Tonks are still back there with most of the Order, trying to set things right again."

"Oh, my goodness," Ginny exclaimed, "I hope they'll be all right!"

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Gin," Ron said, "The Order can take care of a few dementors. Seems strange though, there weren't any Death Eaters there that I could see. The only spells I saw were Patronus Charms."

"It was probably a diversion of some kind," Hermione mused. "The Death Eaters were probably trying to get the Order distracted so they could do damage elsewhere without being hindered."

"I expect we'll see the real attack in the Daily Prophet tomorrow, then," Ron commented.

"Perhaps," Hermione responded. "Who knows, maybe it'll go completely unnoticed."

"Not likely," Ginny said. "If there is one thing Voldemort likes best, it's getting all the credit for the bad things he does or commands others to do," she added.

Ron and Hermione gawked at her. "You said his name…" Ron breathed.

"So what," Ginny challenged him, "Don't forget, I got to know him personally in my first year. I know a few things about how he thinks, now. And one thing is certain, if he can, he'll make sure the whole world knows what he can do before long. He can't resist making a spectacle of himself."

"Ginny's right," Harry agreed, "If it hadn't been for his showing off, I would have died two years ago. It's his greatest weakness, if he has any."

The four sat quietly for a while, contemplating what Voldemort might have been up to, and waiting for the Order members to return so they could be sure their friends were all OK.

A few hours later, Tonks, Remus, and Fred and George appeared through the front door, panting and looking solemn. Harry jumped up when they entered the kitchen, anxious for any news about what had brought the dementors to such a place.

"It seems," Lupin began, "that we've been made the fools this time."

"Mmm hmm," Tonks agreed, "While we were containing the situation in Diagon Alley, the Death Eaters were having a little party with a bunch of Muggles in a quiet suburb of London, leveled a shopping mall and some nearby fast food restaurants."

They all looked grimly at one another. "I wonder which Suburb?" Hermione voiced her concern. Harry hoped for her sake it would not be the one where Hermione and her parents lived. 'At least they are safe here, for now,' he thought.

"That's not the worst of it, though," George continued.

"Yeah," said Fred, his face looking ashen and his hands shaking, "The Ministry did a quick investigation to see who had ordered the dementors into Diagon Alley. They thought it might be Umbridge again."

"But it wasn't," continued George.

"It was Percy," said Fred, the words falling from his mouth like stones tossed into a murky pond.


	8. The Return to Hogwarts

**Chapter Eight: The Return to Hogwarts**

The next day everyone did their best to seem cheerful as they celebrated both Harry's birthday and their OWL results. They had cake and a large dinner, and gave Harry some nice gifts. But the proceedings seemed constantly overshadowed by the news of Percy's betrayal. The remainder of the summer was spent quietly. Mrs. Weasley could often be found in the kitchen, baking a pie, a cake, or some cookies, which no one felt much like eating. Her eyes never seemed to lose their red puffy appearance. Mr. Weasley, when he dropped in after work, never spoke much, and never mentioned Percy at all. No one had seen or heard from Percy since the attack on Diagon Alley and all assumed, without discussion, that he had joined the Death Eaters. No one could fathom why else he would send dementors there to cover up a Death Eater raid in London. It was mentioned once that he could have been under the imperious curse at the time, but that didn't seem to explain the prolonged absence and lack of evidence of any foul play against Percy. The twins, though turning a favorable trade at their shop, seemed the slightest bit deflated whenever they dropped in. They had joined the Order after the incident in Diagon Alley, in direct opposition to Percy's supposed choice. It seemed September 1st could not arrive soon enough. The night of August the 31st, the four students were in Ron and Harry's room. Ginny and Hermione were stretched out across Ron's bed and the boys were sitting casually on Harry's. Hedwig was perched on top of a bureau that stood in the far corner of the room, and Pigwedgeon was snoozing in his cage. They had packed all their things hours ago.

"I wonder what will happen to us this year," Ron thought aloud.

"Whadaya mean, Ron?" Ginny asked lazily.

"Every school year it's something else," he explained casually. "First year, it was a three headed dog, an underground labyrinth and a Death Eater professor who was after the Philosopher's Stone. Then second year…"

"I got dragged into a secret underground chamber by the memory of Tom Riddle," Ginny finished for him.

"Course, then there was our third year with those bloody dementors flying around the school," Ron continued.

"And then Barty Crouch entered me in the Triwizard Tournament so Voldemort could get his hands on me to bring himself back to power," Harry said darkly.

"Yeah, and Umbridge and the D.A. last year," Hermione offered.

"Not to mention the Department of Mysteries and…" Harry almost whispered. It was the first time he had begun to voice those thoughts out loud and he wasn't sure if he could go through with it. He could see in his mind's eye, as he had a thousand times since that day in June, the events that haunted his nightmares. Sirius being tortured by Voldemort, Harry's friends trapped by a dozen Death Eaters, Hermione unconscious on the floor, Ron struggling with a brain that had wrapped itself around his head, and Sirius falling…falling through the veil…laughter dying on his face as he went.

"If only I had listened to you, Hermione, if only…"

"Harry, it isn't your fault." Hermione consoled him.

"No, it's that Lestrange woman. She's the one who killed him," Ron reminded.

"Lestrange…" Harry's eyes grew darker and his mouth thinned at the mention of that name. He stood up and paced the floor as he spoke. "I followed her, you know. After she killed Sirius, I ran after her. I caught up with her in the atrium. I tried to use the Cruciatus on her."

"Harry…that's…that's one of the…" Hermione began.

"I know, one of the Unforgivables. But it doesn't matter. It didn't work."

"But Harry," Hermione started again.

"Look, it doesn't matter, OK? It's what happened afterward that bothers me."

"What happened, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Voldemort," Harry began. Ginny paled and Ron and Hermione cringed, but he ignored them and continued. "He showed up personally in the atrium. He would have killed me, but Dumbledore got in the way and dueled with him. It looked like a stalemate until Voldemort tried to possess me. He wanted Dumbledore to kill me in order to kill him, but Dumbledore wouldn't do it." Harry glanced at his friends as he paused in his story. They were white faced and Ginny was trembling slightly, but their eyes begged him to continue.

"I thought…the pain was so bad…I thought death would have been better than that pain. I remember thinking that at least then I could see Sirius again. That's when he left me."

"He left you?" Ron asked. "You mean you just thought about Sirius and You-Know-Who just got up and left your body?"

"Yeah, Dumbledore said…well…he said something about a power…the power of…well, I think he meant the power of…of love…." Harry let the last two words drop like stones into a mud puddle. He lowered his eyes momentarily, then looked at them again. Ron looked bewildered, Hermione looked skeptical, but Ginny's expression was unreadable. She was staring off into the closet absently, as though contemplating something, lost within her own thoughts.

"Harry," Ginny asked suddenly, "What…what was in the prophecy…did you get to hear it when it broke?"

"No, I didn't hear it. But…" Harry looked into Ginny's eyes. It was as though she already knew. She seemed to see right through his eyes into his mind. The words of the prophecy, now permanently etched into his mind, came flowing, unbidden, into the forefront of his thoughts. _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives…The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…." _

Ginny turned ashen and slid her head down into her hands. She stared into the carpeting as though searching it for a lost article. The others seemed confused and unnerved by the silence. Ron spoke first.

"What, what is it? The prophecy smashed, and no one knew what was in it. It's gone now. It can't hurt anything anymore…can it?"

"The prophecy smashed, yes, but…There is someone who knows what's in it. Two people in fact." Harry said flatly.

"Who, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"Dumbledore…"

"Dumbledore, well that's all right then," Ron sighed with relief. "Whatever was in there, it's safe with Dumbledore, isn't it?"

"Who else knows, Harry?" Hermione asked, her voice low and breathy.

"Uhm…well…"

"He does," said Ginny. "And so do I."

Harry whipped his head around so fast he thought he heard his neck pop. He glared at Ginny, "How?! How do you know?" he demanded.

"I don't know how I know. Just now, when you were looking at me…it just came into my mind. I don't know how it got there. It just did. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I mean… I don't even know how I…" Ginny looked close to tears. She stood up shakily and took two steps toward the door. "I'll just go now…" she added as she placed a hand on the door knob and began to turn it. Harry numbly watched as she closed the door lightly behind her. Then something suddenly came alive inside of him, and he jumped up off the bed and ran after her.

"Ginny, wait!" Harry called as he wrenched the door open again and raced into the room across the hall. Ginny was lying face down on her bed, her shoulders shaking, her sobs muffled by the pillow under her face. Harry crossed the room quietly and knelt on the floor beside her bed. He took one of her hands in his and she turned her tear stained face toward him.

"Ginny," he whispered in a gentle voice, "I'm sorry. I should have known. It's my fault. Please don't cry."

"Harry," she choked back her sobs, "It's awful. That prophecy is dreadful."

"I know. I didn't want you guys to know because I didn't want to know about it myself. I don't want it to be true. I don't even know, really, if it is true."

"Harry," she scolded softly, "It's true. You know it is. At least, part of it has happened already. He marked you." She gently ran a finger across the scar on his forehead. "He marked me too."

"What do you mean, Gin? Did you get a scar from the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Not a visible one, no." She looked at him as if willing him to see inside her mind as she had seen inside his. He stared into her eyes, and a series of thoughts suddenly settled into his consciousness. _I am bound to the Chamber forever. I am bound to the one who saved my life, and I am bound to the one who tried to take it. I am a prisoner of my memories._

"Ginny," he breathed out her name so quietly, even he was unsure whether he had spoken it aloud. She sat up on the bed and he sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. "Ginny, I…" Harry's heart was so full of emotions he couldn't decide which to voice first. He wanted her to be all right. He wanted to do anything to make her happy. He wanted to provide her with a lifetime of good memories to crowd out the memory of the Chamber. He wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs and kissed her softly on the forehead. He placed his arms protectively around her.

"I promise," he whispered, "I will never let him hurt you again."

He looked again into her chocolate brown eyes. The world around them melted away, all their cares forgotten for the moment. She smiled warmly and he grinned. Slowly he lowered his face toward hers. Their lips met briefly. It was warm and sweet and inviting.

"HARRY!!"

Ron and Hermione were standing in the doorway, gawking at them. Ron was red faced, but Hermione was smiling.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO MY SISTER?!"

"S…S...Sorry Ron." Harry's heart was suddenly caught in his throat. "I, uhm, I…"

"Oh Ron," Ginny said, exasperatedly, but Hermione interjected.

"Look, you just said last night you wished Ginny would go out with someone more like Harry," she reminded him.

"It's OK," said Harry, "Ron's just mad because I forgot to ask him first," Harry teased. Then he added slightly more seriously, a buoyancy still in his voice, "Ron, is it all right with you if I ask your sister out?"

Ron smiled then, looking pleased. "Since you asked," he laughed a little. "Of course Harry. I'm sorry. I was just surprised is all." Harry pulled Ginny closer then, but was surprised when Hermione also threw her arms around Ron. Ron turned and grinned at her.

"What's all this then?" Harry asked, hiding his laughter.

"I asked Hermione on the way back from Diagon Alley."

"What? And you didn't tell me in all this time?" Harry asked incredulously.

"It was all that stuff about Percy," Hermione answered for him. "It just didn't seem like the time to bring it up."

"Plus, we weren't sure how you would feel about it," Ron supplied.

"Why?" Harry asked simply.

"Well, you remember when we were talking about it before we went to sleep that one night?" Ron reminded him.

"Yeah"

"Well, I was afraid the person you thought was better was…was…."

"You thought I liked Hermione and I was trying not to tell you because you said you liked her," Harry finished for him.

"Yeah," Ron bowed his head a little, his cheeks a little red. "I'm just glad I was wrong."

"Yeah, me too," said Ginny, and everyone laughed.

"What's going on up here?" Mrs. Weasley called as she came up the steps. Harry and Ron quickly disentangled themselves from the girls. Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly at them all, seeming not to have noticed anything odd or different about the four teens. "'Bout time you all got into bed, isn't it? We've got to catch that train in the morning."

"Yes, Mum," Ron and Ginny recited together.

"Well, we'll see you all in the morning then. Is everything all right, Harry? You look a little pale, dear. Have you been crying, Ginny?"

"It's all right, Mum," Ginny covered quickly for the speechless boy beside her. "I was just remembering something unpleasant, and Harry helped me feel better."

"Oh, dear, are you still having those dreams about that dreadful chamber?" Mrs. Weasley said consolingly as she strode across the room. She sat on the other side of Ginny on the bed and placed Ginny's head in her lap and stroked her hair. Ginny smiled and looked at Harry as though to say, 'Here's your chance to escape.'

Harry took his cue and stood up. He dragged Ron across the hall with him as Hermione went into the girls' room. As soon as the door was closed behind them, Ron cornered Harry again.

"You didn't tell Hermione and me about the prophecy yet," he said, almost pleadingly.

"I don't think I should, Ron." Harry replied.

"How did Ginny know? Did you tell her?"

"I didn't tell her at all. She…she just saw it…in my thoughts. I don't know why or how, it just happened. I didn't mean for any of you to know."

"Why not, Harry? We're your best mates. If you can't tell us, who can you tell?"

"That's just it, mate, you are the best friends anyone could ever ask for. I don't want you to know because I don't want Voldemort to try to get it from you. You saw what he did last year to get that prophecy! He would do anything, kill all of you, torture you to get that information. I just can't put you in that kind of danger. If I could I would erase it from Ginny's mind too, but I don't know how to Obliviate."

"Oh," Ron looked glum, like Christmas had come and no presents were at the end of his bed.

"Ron, trust me. You don't want to know."

"All right, Harry," he said resignedly. "Let's just go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us."

"Too true," Harry agreed.

They settled into their beds, but Harry was still worried. He was glad they were going to Hogwarts in the morning. He didn't think Voldemort was crazy enough to try to get into Hogwarts. They would be safe there. But he was still worried. He wondered how his relationship with Ron and Hermione would change now that they were dating and he was with Ginny. With Ginny…the words echoed through his mind and he could not suppress his grin. He placed his hands behind his head as though to gently cradle the heart warming thought. He was with Ginny now. He fell asleep smiling.

…_The stones were warm beneath his feet. She was smiling at him from beside the fountain. He glanced at the unicorn statue that signified purity and peace. Her hair shone in the light of the full moon, gold glistening off deep red tones. Her eyes danced with joy and expectation. They fell into a warm embrace, grateful to be together at last, their hearts filled with both longing and gratitude. He looked into her chocolate eyes, taking in the emotions he read behind them…joy, peace, gratitude, and love, but there was also fear. _

"_What's wrong?" He asked her._

"_He'll know. He'll find us."_

"_I promised. I won't let him hurt you ever again."_

"_He's coming."_

"_But he won't find us there. We'll be safe. He can't go there."_

"_No, but we can't stay there forever."_

_A tear trickled down her face. He wiped it away with his thumb and brushed her lips with his. "Don't worry. It will be all right. We'll win in the end." She smiled sadly, then gently pushed away from their embrace."_

"_It's up to you, Harry. You are the one to choose how this will end. You have to decide. What will you do when that day comes? How will you face him? How will you vanquish him?"_

The four friends arose late the next morning, groggy and slack faced from staying up too late the night before. They all tumbled over each other as they tried to get their four trunks, two owls, one cat, four teenagers, and three adults into the standard size muggle sedan Lupin had rented for the day. Lupin had magically expanded the trunk to fit all of their belongings into it, and had been about to expand the back seat as well when Mrs. Weasley caught him and gave him a good telling off.

"I have half a mind to tell Arthur what you've done here," she had scolded him. "After all the trouble his Ford Anglia got him into, you ought to be more careful what you go doing with muggle things."

"Don't worry so much, Molly. I'll remove the charm before returning it to the rental place."

"Well, you had better."

Now as they drove down the streets of downtown London toward Kings Cross Station, a caged owl on each of the boys' laps and Crookshanks in his basket on Hermione's, all four teenagers squeezed in together, Harry silently wished Lupin had been able to perform the expansion charm after all. The drive seemed incredibly slow to Harry. He was grateful to be going home to Hogwarts again, but this year was going to be very different from previous years. He was going to be a teacher of Defense. He would have to be more responsible as a part-time member of the staff. It was as though a heavy iron weight had been attached to his sense of adventure, a weight labeled "Responsibility". He wondered briefly how Malfoy would take the news, and he smiled at the thought. _It'll turn him green as his house flag to see it,_ he laughed silently.

When they finally arrived at the station and passed through the barrier to platform 9 ¾, there were just five minutes left before the train departed. They said hurried goodbyes to Lupin, Tonks, and Mrs. Weasley as they boarded the train, and quickly sought out an empty compartment in which to stow their trunks and pets. They looked through and finally found one in which Neville and Luna were sitting. Luna was reading an article from the Quibbler aloud while Neville listened half heartedly and stared out the window absently.

"Hey Neville, Luna, do you mind if we join you?" Harry asked politely.

"Oh, not at all, Harry," Luna responding pausing in her recitation of the article describing the Crumple Horned Snorkacks.

"Thanks," he said, and they began stowing their trunks in the racks.

"We've gotta go," Hermione said, gesturing toward Ron.

"Yeah, prefect duties," Ron added unnecessarily.

Neville did not seem to hear them at all, but continued staring out the window. Harry wondered what was on Neville's mind. He seemed deeply involved in some internal struggle.

"Neville," Harry attempted.

"Hmm?" Neville looked up slowly and finally noticed Harry and Ginny standing there. "Oh, hi Harry, hi Ginny," he said dully, and then returned to staring out the window, watching as the landscape passed quickly by.

"Neville, are you OK?" Harry asked.

"Oh, gosh, Harry, I dunno," Neville replied. "It's just…just that…"

"What's the matter, Neville?" Ginny asked encouragingly.

"Here," Neville responded quietly, handing Ginny a sheet of parchment he'd been holding. Harry looked over Ginny's shoulder to see what it was. There were finger print smudges around the edges and small water marks suggesting someone had cried over this page at some point. Harry looked at the words and realized that this parchment held Neville's OWL results.

"Neville, this is outstanding!" Harry cried, wondering why his friend would feel depressed about such good grades. "What's the problem?"

"Two more years of Snape," Neville replied.

Harry scanned the page and found Neville's Potions grade. Sure enough, Neville had scored O's on both the practical and the written exams. "Wow," Harry breathed, awed by Neville's accomplishment. "That's some kind of studying you must have done."

"Well, yeah, I mean, I have always wanted to be a healer," Neville explained. "And McGonagall said I'd have to have excellent Potions scores on both my OWLs and my NEWTs, but honestly, Harry! How am I supposed to survive two more years of Snape's class?"

"Don't worry, Neville," Harry reassured him, "I'll help you. And I'm sure Hermione will too. Just picture Snape as an old bat with too much wind under his wings. He's really just a big spoiled child, like a grown up Malfoy."

As if summoned by the mention of his name, Malfoy, flanked as always by his two huge friends, opened their compartment door and stepped in, leaving Crabbe and Goyle just outside in the corridor.

"Did I hear the sweet sound of someone profaning my name?" A familiar drawl came from the compartment door. Harry turned around slowly to look at his nemesis, and then studied him carefully before making a reply. He took in the new robes, polished shoes, and equally polished smirk and frowned in intense distaste.

"Malfoy, your very presence at Hogwarts profanes the sanctity of its halls. Go crawl back under the rock from which you sprang and leave us in peace." Harry was not about to bother with the evil brat after all the trouble he'd caused them all over the summer. But Malfoy was not so easily dissuaded.

"Have a nice summer, did you? I hear you've come into favor with the Ministry lately, what with doing underage magic and not a word about punishment from anyone. I'd say you are the 'spoiled child' around here if anyone is."

"Malfoy, if I have to look at your face for two more seconds, I'll have to rearrange it for you. Merlin knows you could do with an improvement to it." Harry pointed his wand at Malfoy, daring him to remain another moment.

Malfoy stepped back, and began to turn around, but suddenly swung around again, wand in hand. Harry was about to strike him with a stunning spell, but Ginny got there first with her bat bogey hex. Malfoy shrieked and slapped his hands to his face, trying desperately to stop the flapping bat wings from stinging his eyes.

"Good one, Gin," Harry laughed, and Ginny smiled proudly. "But you better put him right before Ron and Hermione get back."

"All right," Ginny said, and performed the counter curse.

"Don't think you're going to get away with that," Malfoy spat. "I still want my revenge for what you did to my father."

"Fine, fine, go ahead and try. But as your last attempt was an abysmal failure, I'd think perhaps you'd be better off giving it a rest, Malfoy." Harry replied, uncaringly.

Malfoy's expression darkened and his face flushed slightly, but he made no reply. He turned and exited the compartment quickly, spitting out a vicious, "Get out of my way, Mudblood," as he passed Ron and Hermione who were just coming in." Ron raised a fist to slug him for the insult, but Hermione placed a calming hand on his arm and shook her head.

Ron slowly lowered his arm as he watched Malfoy retreat down the corridor, then turned to Harry. "What did he want this time?" he asked.

"The usual," Harry replied, "threats, slurs and attitude problems."

"He's depressed," Luna supplied knowingly. "He thinks you framed his dad, Harry."

"What, you mean he didn't know?" Harry asked, shocked by the revelation.

"No," Luna replied, "He knew his dad was a sympathizer of the Dark Lord's philosophy, but he never thought he had actually taken the mark or killed anyone."

"Talk about a master of denial," Ron said.

"No kidding," Ginny added. "But then most of the wizarding community thought the same thing about the Malfoys until last June."

"I suppose Malfoy has had a rough summer then," said Harry, feeling a slight measure of sympathy for the slimy Slytherin. "Perhaps I shouldn't have been so hard on him."

"No way, Harry," Ron said, "He's been insulting you for five years now. It's about time the tables got turned on him."

Harry shrugged and the six friends sat down together and relaxed. A good game of wizard's chess with Ron helped Harry put Malfoy's woes out of his mind. And Ginny, Neville and Luna enjoyed a few rounds of exploding snap on the compartment floor, while Hermione looked over one of her textbooks for the coming term. Time seemed to speed itself up, and soon the train was slowing and coming to a stop. They all exited the train and moved quickly toward the waiting carriages led by the ominous looking thestrals.

"Can you see them, Gin?" Harry asked, studying her face.

"No, but just knowing they are there, you know, it's weird," she responded.

"I hope you never have to see them," he told her. "They're not all that ugly, really. It's just I hope you never have to see anyone…you know."

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

They left off that depressing topic when they heard Hagrid's familiar call, "Firs' years, this way!" Harry turned to wave to Hagrid while Ginny mounted the steps into the waiting carriage. Harry climbed in after her, followed by Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna. They all sat quietly, contemplating the awaiting feast, their empty stomachs (Ron's was growling) and the classes they'd be starting on tomorrow. Harry felt a few butterflies flutter in his abdomen when he realized he'd be teaching some of those classes. He decided it was a good moment to bring up the D.A.

"Um, guys," he said, attracting their attention, "I thought you should know," he directed this first part to Neville and Luna, "that we'll be doing the D.A. again this year, upon Dumbledore's request."

"That's great, Harry," Luna said dreamily.

"Yeah, so, Dumbledore wants me to open it up as a club available to all students," he explained.

"You mean, even the Slytherins?" asked Neville.

"Yeah," Harry replied, "so Hermione was looking for a way to charm the notices so that only people who wanted to defend themselves and their families from a Death Eater attack would be able to read it."

"I found one, too, Harry," she interrupted, "It was in a book in the room Ginny and I were sharing."

"That's great, Hermione," Harry said. "I think I'll be holding the first meeting during the first Hogsmeade weekend. That way it won't conflict with any other clubs, teams, classes or even homework."

"Well," said Hermione, smiling slyly, "No one's homework but yours and Ron's, I would say, unless you two have turned a new leaf this year."

Ron looked affronted, but Hermione just laughed, as did Harry. They arrived at the front entrance to the castle more quickly than Harry had anticipated. As he looked up at the building where he would now both receive and administer education, he noticed frogs had joined the butterflies in his stomach and were now leaping around, threatening to force him to give up on the awaiting feast.

All the students moved swiftly into the Entrance Hall and were beginning to filter into the Great Hall. Harry noticed Malfoy ahead of him, and he lagged behind so as not to draw any attention to himself from his pale nemesis. The last thing he needed was a detention on the first day of school. The students quickly found their seats at their respective tables, and sat down. Harry could feel Malfoy's glare from the other side of the room boring two round grey holes in the back of his head, but he chose to ignore it.

He focused all his attention upon the head table, observing as Snape stole furtive and angry glances at Tonks, who sat smiling brightly under her radiant blue hair, her eyes matching. Harry wondered if Tonks had been in Ravenclaw as a student. She saw him looking her way, widened her smile and waved at him. He returned the gesture and then followed the line of teachers with his eyes until his gaze fell upon Professor McGonagall who was speaking very animatedly to Professor Dumbledore and casting looks his way from time to time. They seemed to be arguing about something. Harry didn't have long to wonder what it was they were arguing about before Professor McGonagall abruptly stood up straight, turned from Dumbledore, and strode purposefully out into the hallway to collect the first years, the sorting hat, and the three legged stool. After watching her leave, Harry looked up at Dumbledore quizzically, and the headmaster smiled warmly back at him, the familiar twinkle playing happily in his eyes.

Soon the doors flew open again and the little first years came traipsing in, a bit windblown, and trembling in fear and awe, but at least they weren't drenched this year. Professor McGonagall placed the stool on the floor in the front of the room, rested the sorting hat upon it, and stepped back to allow the hat to begin its annual song.

Many a student has placed me

Upon the top of his head

Each has waited to hear from me

The name of the house that will hold his bed

My friends, I have tried to tell you all

As you listen to the words I've said

That though I divide you

I hate to provide you

With enemies as well as friends

Again it is my duty still

To give your names for good or ill

To houses which in your studies will

Influence you to your days ends

But mind my warning all who favor light

For times are turning with each night

Bringing closer the dreaded fight

Between those evil and those right

Divide you I must, t'is true

But the rest of the road is up to you

Will you choose friendships tried and true?

Or will your enemies get their due?

Look to your hearts

In these dark times

Take note of the marks

Left upon your minds

For all who enter within these walls

Bear a stewardship to guard its halls

To be united is to heed the call

To be divided is to let this school fall

Come, I will tell you if you are brave and true

Strong and fearless as the Gryffindor queue

If you are wise and talented too

Then Ravenclaw is the place for you.

There will be many loyal and faithful

Hardworking Hufflepuffs make up a houseful

And those who are resourceful, confident, and cunning

You will find yourselves in Slytherin's runnings

But remember that each new student will bear

Traits that match each house, and share

The virtues of one compliment the others

Conquer you shall, if you stand as brothers

The sorting hat fell silent, as had the rest of the hall. Slowly, and quietly, whispers broke out around the Great Hall, as stunned students discussed the sorting hat's message. Hermione cast a look at Harry and Ron that seemed to say, 'Did you hear that?' But all left off whispering as McGonagall called out the first name on her list.

"Madeline Abbott"

A small blonde girl came forward and waved quickly at Hannah Abbott at the Hufflepuff Table. Harry surmised they must be related.

"Ravenclaw," the hat called out.

"Oh, that'll be interesting," Ron whispered, "A Hufflepuff has a little sister in Ravenclaw! Can you imagine the fights when Madeline is doing the same homework as her sister?"

"Being in Hufflepuff does not automatically make you stupid, Ron," Hermione interjected. "Hannah was quite good in the D.A. last year, wasn't she Harry?"

"Oh, yes, quite good," Harry agreed, then turned back to the sorting, shrugging his shoulders at Ron's why-didn't-you-side-with-me look.

"Amanda Bethwell"

"Hufflepuff" There was a mild spattering of applause from the Hufflepuff table.

"Carson Cantel"

"Slytherin" Carson wandered over to the Slytherin table, smiling.

"That's enough of those," Ron whispered, "No more Slytherins, please."

"Latonia Gladstone"

"Gryffindor"

The Gryffindor table burst into applause and Latonia sat down next to Dean Thomas. "This is my cousin," Harry heard Dean whisper to Seamus. Seamus patted the girl on the back and whispered back, "Good to meet ya. We'll take good care of ya."

Harry turned back as he heard the next name.

"Patricia Goodesman," McGonagall called, and a pale brunette took her place on the seat.

"Gryffindor," the hat called again, and the table erupted in cheers.

Amy Livingston was sorted into Ravenclaw, Tony Marston into Slytherin, and Shawna Portington to Hufflepuff. Harry's attention wandered for awhile then as he looked over at Ginny who was watching him intently. Their eyes met, and he felt a familiar sensation as thoughts once again entered his mind. _We need to talk_. Harry's eyes widened, and he wondered what this connection meant that he seemed to have with Ginny. He stared into her eyes and thought 'We should talk tonight when the others are asleep.' Ginny nodded and another phrase entered his mind. _Meet me in front of the fire as soon as the common room is empty, and don't tell Ron._ Harry nodded as well and Ginny turned her eyes away from his just as Jessica Zimmerman was sorted into Ravenclaw and Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and its stool.

Professor Dumbledore arose then for the usual start of term greetings.

"Welcome, all, to another year at Hogwarts. We are happy to have our newcomers here. We are also grateful for those of you who are returning. I hope you have all enjoyed your summers immensely. It is time for our most excellent feast prepared by our extremely helpful and considerably appreciated house elves. Tuck in!"

As the mounds of delicious looking food appeared on the serving plates, Harry stole a glance at Hermione. She was beaming up at Dumbledore, elation written all over her face. "Did you hear that? He praised them! What an example. Now if I can only get him to free them!"

"Heh-mawn-ee," Ron said thickly, his mouth full of his first bite of chicken. He swallowed, then continued, "Would you give this spew stuff a rest? House elves don't want to be free! They told you so themselves last year!"

"It's S.P.E.W., Ron, not spew, and I will not give it a rest!" Hermione puffed herself up indignantly and they were off on another row. Harry chuckled softly and looked up at Ginny across from him. Her eyes were dancing with her own amusement. He shuffled a foot forward and caught the end of her shoe with his own. She pushed back and he laughed aloud.

"You think it's funny, do you?" Hermione demanded crossly, "House elf enslavement is just a hoot, eh?"

"No, no!" Harry suddenly realized he was in trouble. He looked to Ginny for help, but she shrugged and grinned. Harry grinned back, but that seemed to be the last straw for Hermione.

"I see how it is. You all think I'm nuts! I'm just trying to help another living creature to have a better existence and you all think it's a laughing matter!"

"I'm not laughing," Ron offered.

"No, no you're just outright telling me I'm nuts and should drop it," she shot back at him.

"Wait…no…That's not what I mean…no…Hermione," Ron looked desperate. He had a pleading look in his eyes as he reached out to take her hand. But Hermione pulled her hand out of his reach and turned stonily away from him. Harry grimaced and Ginny looked sorry.

"I'm sorry Hermione," Harry tried. "It wasn't you. I was laughing with Ginny about something else."

"Oh, get over yourself, Harry. Ginny hasn't said a word."

"Well, no, it wasn't something she said…" Harry trailed off and then blushed, and Ginny blushed as well. Ron began to stand up, his eyes got wide and his ears matched his hair before Harry realized he was digging his hole deeper. "No, no, Ron, nothing like that!" But Ron, though returning to his seated position, continued to eye Harry and Ginny suspiciously. Harry rolled his eyes and looked back at Ginny. This was going to be a long year.

The words, _It sure is,_ suddenly entered his mind.

As the feast came to its close, Dumbledore stood again and raised his arms to attract everyone's attention. The Hall slowly grew quiet as all eyes turned toward him.

"We are pleased, at the end of our lovely feast, to introduce all of you to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Tonks." Most everyone clapped politely, except for a few Slytherins, Malfoy included. "I also would like to make you all aware that there will be a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Club available to all students led by our own Harry Potter, who will also be assisting Professor Tonks with some of her classes." Again there was some polite applause, mingled with the cheers of a few of last year's D.A. members, and the mumblings of some of the Slytherins. "Mr. Potter is to be considered a part time member of the Hogwarts staff, and I expect each of you to afford him the same respect you have shown to all of your teachers and to me. Mr. Potter will have the authority to award and remove points and to administer detentions as necessary within his teaching position. All those who wish to join the Defense Club, known as the D.A., should consult their house boards for notices concerning the dates and times."

The murmurs echoed through the room, some hopeful, some reproachful, others telling of how great they expected this club to be. Harry's frogs and butterflies suddenly returned, accompanied by a few fluttery birds. The feast he had consumed seemed lodged in his wind pipe, and he was sure if the subject didn't change soon, his first act as a teacher would be to retch on the floor of the Great Hall. His eyes caught Ginny's again and her expression soothed him. She beamed proudly at him, but she also seemed to understand the weight he felt. She placed her hand on his knee under the table, and tilted her head to the side, smiling warmly. 'How does she do that?' he thought. 'How does she always know?' He remembered her words from last night …_I am bound to you…_and he was suddenly more anxious for the chance to talk with her that he hoped he'd get tonight.

Dumbledore finished his speech with the usual warnings about the Forbidden Forest and Filch's list, and then he called for the prefects to lead their first years to the common rooms. Ron and Hermione got up to leave. Ron was still pleading with Hermione, and she was still turned determinedly away from him. Harry took Ginny's hand in his and they walked in silence to the common room. They caught up with the first years at the portrait door and waited for Hermione to give the password to the fat lady, and then all the Gryffindors clambered in through the portrait hole.

It seemed to Harry that it took Ron forever to go to sleep. He had been forced to listen to a litany of angry words about how stubborn Hermione was, and then watched as Ron tossed and turned back and forth before his snoring finally could be heard. Harry tip-toed out of the dormitory and closed the door carefully behind him. He saw Ginny already waiting for him on the couch by the fire. He smiled at her, and she smiled and gestured for him to sit with her. The question seemed to form itself on his lips before he was fully ready for it to be answered.

"What is happening between us, Gin? Why can I hear your thoughts?"

She studied him carefully for a moment. She seemed to be deciding how best to answer him. He wondered what she was hiding.

"Back in my first year, when you saved me from the Chamber of Secrets, a bond was formed between us, a life bond. Do you know what that is?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it," he said, remembering Snape's life bond with his father.

"Well, I think it started with that, but when two people who share that kind of bond also, uhm…"

"Fall in love?" Harry supplied, knowingly.

"Yes," she beamed at him and took his hand, and Harry's heart skipped a few beats.

"There has to be more to it than that," she said, "But, I don't know all the reasons. But my parents, they have the same kind of bond. None of us could ever get away with anything because all Mum had to do was look at Dad, and he knew what we did." Harry laughed. Ginny smiled and went on, "I asked Mum about it once a couple of years ago. She said it was common for a Wizard and Witch who were married to have that kind of bond, but she said it only worked as long as they continued to love each other."

"Well," Harry shrugged and grinned, "At least you'll never have to guess at how I feel about you."

Ginny grinned and slid closer to him. All of Harry's butterflies, frogs, and birds suddenly returned as she leaned in toward him, but as soon as her lips met his they flew from his stomach up into the air around him. A charge of electricity shot through his body, and he began to tremble. He pulled away from her kiss, and saw that she too was shaking, her eyes as wide as his, her lips parted slightly. The only sound in the room was that of their racing hearts and labored breathing.

"Wow!" Harry finally said.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed.

"We'd better be getting to bed," Harry suggested.

"I suppose so," Ginny quibbled. Then she grinned wickedly and climbed onto Harry's lap. "But not just yet, please," she whispered. Harry held her close as she leaned into his chest, her head leaning on his shoulder. She looked up into his eyes. _I like the unicorn dream. And maybe you're right. We are safe here._

Harry smiled wistfully, then thought, 'No, you were right, too. We can't stay here forever. We'll have to do something to protect us both soon."

"Do you think we should talk to Dumbledore about this?" Ginny asked aloud.

"Perhaps. But I know what he'll tell me. He'll want us both to learn Occlumency." Harry could not keep the venom out of his voice as he spoke.

"Is it that bad?" Ginny asked.

"With Snape, it certainly is."

"Maybe there is some other way?"

"Maybe," Harry said doubtfully. He pulled her close again and they sat in silence.

"Hey, do I have to look in your eyes to make this connection thing work?"

"That's usually how it goes."

"Ok, but then, how did you know about my dream?"

"I've been having the same dream."

"Try it," Harry said abruptly.

"What?"

"Think of something without looking at me and I'll try to know what it is."

_This is crazy!_ He suddenly heard her in his mind.

'No, it's not crazy' he thought in return, casting his mind in her direction. She suddenly pulled away, her eyes wide again with fear.

"That's not supposed to happen, Harry. Most people don't have that strong of a connection."

"Well, I think it's brilliant! Just think! Maybe we don't even have to be close to one another. Maybe we could be half way across the school from each other and you could still know what I'm thinking." Harry was excited, but Ginny seemed worried.

"What does this mean?" she asked, though she knew he didn't have the answer.

"Maybe it means we're soul mates or something," Harry offered.

"We need to find out."

"I am interested to know," he agreed.

"I don't think we should tell anyone," she seemed nervous now.

"Why?"

"Remember how they treated you when they thought you were the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Yeah," he could hardly forget.

"This would probably be ten times worse."

"Why?" he asked again.

"Because…" She paused for a long time. "Please," she finally continued, "just don't tell anyone. At least until we know what we're dealing with. We'll look it up in the Library. Please, promise me."

"Ok, Gin," he softened, wanting to keep her happy, "I won't talk about it, not even with Ron or Hermione. It's kinda personal anyway, isn't it?"

Ginny visibly relaxed, took a deep breath and smiled. "Yeah, it's just between you and me."

"Ginny?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I know."

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you, too."

"Yeah, I know. But thanks for saying it."

They grinned at each other and walked to the stairs. He gave her one last kiss before they separated for the night and watched as she climbed the last steps to her dorm room. When she had closed the door softly behind her, he turned and headed back to his bed. He was glad to hear Ron snoring in harmony with the other 6th year boys. He climbed into his bed not noticing Neville peering at him from behind his curtains. Harry fell asleep quickly, dreaming about Ginny and hoping she was sharing the dream again.


	9. Teaching and Learning

**Chapter Nine: Teaching and Learning**

He was in a dungeon under the ground. There were torches, just two, on the wall, which were the only light available as there were no windows. He walked slowly along the corridor between the empty cells, heading for a cell at the back of the room. His long fingers held a wand of yew and phoenix feather. He twirled the wand expectantly, anticipating the torture he was about to administer. As he approached the cell in question, a skinny, red haired man, head bowed in exhaustion, twitched with the residual pain of the last torture session. Harry smiled at the sight, filled with glee over the power he'd gain from controlling this once pompous man. The cell door clicked open with a wave of the yew wand, and a tall, blond haired man arose from beside the cell door.

"My Lord, how may I serve you," came the sleepy drawl of his loyal but slippery Death Eater.

"You can remain awake when you are guarding this prisoner," Harry hissed, "Crucio" he added, pointing his wand at the blonde man for a moment.

The Death Eater writhed and sputtered on the ground until the curse was lifted and Harry turned his attention to the prisoner.

"Well, my fine young friend. You seem to think your lot is hard. But do not fret. You shall have your wish. I will make you the next Minister of Magic, and you will do all that I command you to do with that post."

"Never," came the prisoner's reply. "I will not allow the governance of Magical Peoples be turned over to you and your pathetic followers. I was a fool to follow Fudge and Umbridge, but I am no longer their fool. Whatever you do to me, I will not help you."

"Have it your way," Harry spat, uncaringly. Long, white, pointing fingers raised the yew wand and aimed it at the prisoner's chest. "Crucio," he almost whispered and a smile spread across the thin lips of his ashen face. He watched the man twist and writhe under the power of the curse. The curse seemed to go on forever and the screams of the prisoner were suddenly mingled with someone else's scream. Harry fell from his bed and retched on the floor, clutching his scar and screaming with the pain coming from it. Ron was by his side, shaking him by the shoulders, white faced and trembling.

"Harry, Harry, what is it, what's happened?" Ron was calling from so very far away.

Harry tried to answer him. "It's…it's…I think it was Percy…Voldemort…cursed him…."

Ron pulled back, anxious to find someone to help him. A moment later, Ron and Seamus had Harry between them, his arms draped around each of their shoulders. They dragged him to the hospital wing and explained quietly to a clucking Madame Pomfrey what had happened. They left him there with her, following her direction to go and fetch the Headmaster immediately. By the time the three of them returned, Harry was feeling considerably better, but the contents of the vision concerned him.

"Thank you, boys," Dumbledore said as they entered the room. "You can return to your dormitory now." Seamus turned right around and left, but Ron stayed a moment longer.

"Run along, now, Mr. Weasley. Harry will be quite all right, I assure you." Dumbledore commanded.

Ron's footsteps faded and the door creaked and clicked shut.

"Harry," Dumbledore addressed him, "Another vision?"

"It was Voldemort," Harry explained. "He had Percy; he was torturing him. He said something about wanting to make him the next Minister of Magic. Someone else was there, but I can't remember who it was. It was someone I've seen before."

"I see," Dumbledore replied. "Do you remember where they were, anything about the room or area they were in?"

"It was dark, underground I think," Harry tried to remember more, but the pain in his scar made it hard to think.

"Very well, Harry," said Dumbledore, "I think you had better get some rest. You have some classes to teach in a few more hours." The twinkle seemed to return to Dumbledore's eyes when he mentioned Harry's teaching assignment.

"Yes, sir," Harry muttered sleepily.

The sun arose to find Harry still sitting up in the hospital bed. Harry mused that he was almost as familiar with this room as he was his own dorm. He slid off the bed and began to dress, slipping on his pants and replacing his glasses. Madame Pomfrey came in and checked him over, saying he could do with a bit more rest, but declaring him otherwise fit. She wished him luck with his classes, and he headed for his dormitory to collect his school robes.

When he had washed up and dressed properly, he grabbed up his school bag and pulled out his notes, reading over his lesson plan again as he walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast. He found Ron, Hermione and Ginny at the Gryffindor table, finishing up with eating and looking over their time tables. Ron passed Harry's to him and Harry sighed as he glanced over it. There it was, NEWT level potions, first class of the term, first thing this morning.

"Well, Mondays are going to be fun, aren't they?" Harry said, peering over at Ron's timetable to compare. "Potions first, just to start the day off right, and then I go teach while you all have a break."

"Not me," Ginny said, "I have Transfiguration first, then Potions right after you guys. And then I go straight to Charms right after Lunch. I have a break then, though, until Divination. Looks like Trelawny's back to teaching because I have to go all the way to the North Tower for that."

"Well, at least our afternoon break coincides," Harry said, "We'll be able to help you study for your OWLs then."

"Oh, no," Ginny said, "Not today, at least. I need some practice for quidditch tryouts on Saturday. We'll start studying next week."

Hermione huffed a bit at that, but Harry cut her off. "That'll be great. I have to teach my first class after potions. It'll help me blow off the nerves from that to get out on my broom. You mind if I join you on the pitch this afternoon, Ginny?"

"I wouldn't mind at all," she grinned.

"By the way," Harry asked, trying to sound nonchalant. "Who's the captain that set tryouts for the very first weekend back?"

"That would be me," Ron squeaked nervously, but the pride he was hiding seemed to ooze out his ears just the same.

"Ron? Are you serious?" Harry gawked at him.

"Is there something wrong with me being the quidditch captain?" Ron asked, suddenly offended.

"NO! Not at all! I think it's wonderful. You'll be terrific," Harry stated excitedly. "It's just, you were only on the team for one year. Katie Bell's been on it for five. I just thought that McGonagall would pick her."

"Oh," sighed Ron, relief turning to joy, "Katie turned it down, and McGonagall said you had enough to be getting on with, what with teaching and the D.A. and all, so she asked me." Ron seemed slightly deflated at the memory of having been third choice rather than first, but his face brightened again so quickly, Harry wondered if he had only imagined that.

"So, you _are_ going to try out as seeker again, aren't you?" Ron asked, a sly grin playing on his face.

"You mean…I can come back to the team?" Harry didn't think anything could brighten his day more.

"Sure! McGonagall said your ban was lifted as soon as all of Umbridge's decrees were null. She said that since Umbridge no longer held the authority to ban you, that the ban was meaningless. But you do have to try out again because you were off the team for more than half the year. That's just Hogwarts policy."

"Well, I won't quibble about that," Harry said, still elated. "Trying out is the easy part. I'm just glad to have the chance again!"

"Ginny," Harry turned his attention to his girlfriend and grinned, "Looks like we both have to get ready for tryouts."

"Yeah, well, I'll see you at lunch, Harry," she smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek lightly before heading toward Transfiguration. Harry's smile stayed in place all through the rest of his breakfast and down the steps to the dungeons, only faltering as he entered the dingy old classroom where Snape sat, waiting impatiently behind his desk.

Searching for something happy to help him ignore the slimy git, Harry turned his attention to Ron. "So, did you and Hermione stop fighting yet?" Harry whispered as they sat at their usual back-of-the-room tables.

"Yeah, you know how it is, Harry. Fighting is just too much fun for us." Ron grinned wickedly and Harry smiled, wondering how those two went about making up after a fight. He stopped his train of thought there, though, thinking maybe he didn't want to know.

When the last of the students had filtered into the room, Snape stood to address them. His silky light tones belied the loathing that filled his dark aura. His eyes flashed dangerously as he surveyed his two least favorite students.

"It seems that some of you have managed to mystify your test givers into allowing you entry into my class," Snape began. "How you managed it is beyond me, but you should know that it only gets harder from here. I will not allow slackers and imbeciles to remain in my class. If your grade at any point slips below Acceptable, you will be removed from the roster. Is that clear?"

Harry watched as Snape's eyes took in the rest of the classroom. He saw him rest upon Malfoy for a moment, an odd flashing resurfacing behind his eyes. He wondered briefly what that was about, but Snape spoke again.

"Those of you who follow instructions explicitly and pay rapt attention to lecture and homework assignments should be able to obtain all that is needed to do well on the NEWTs that are coming up at the end of your seventh year. Do not think for a moment that just because it is two years' time away you should not have to begin to prepare for them immediately. They do not call them 'Nastily Exhausting' for nothing."

Snape's eyes took in the classroom again, surveying each student's reaction to his statements. Then he turned around, placed his wand's tip on the blackboard, and waited as the instructions for Polyjuice Potion wrote themselves on the board. "This is the potion we will be working on for the next month. You will need to choose a partner and work together. One mistake, and the entire brew may be wasted and you will both receive no points for the entire unit. The supplies you do not already have are in the cupboard. You may begin."

Harry looked up at the board and smiled. He turned his attention to Ron and Hermione and the three of them exchanged a silent laugh of triumph. He took in Neville's nervous expression and said, "Nothing to worry about, Neville. This'll be a piece of cake. You and I can be partners for this unit." Neville smiled gratefully, but didn't relax as much as Harry had hoped he would. He decided he'd have to tell Neville later about visiting the Slytherin common room with Ron second year. They got started on the potion and soon found to both Harry's and Neville's relief that everything was coming along fine. Their cauldron looked exactly like Ron and Hermione's, and they were all four sitting back in their seats, having completed the first phase of the potion early. Snape eyed them all suspiciously, and then came over to investigate. He peered at both cauldrons, an expression of wonder mixed with discovery on his face.

"So, three formerly idiotic Gryffindors suddenly know how to make Polyjuice Potion as though they were old pros" He looked over to Hermione and Ron, then looked Harry in the eye. Harry stared back, and Snape's expression turned sour. He looked as though he were searching for anything to say to criticize the four. "Well, we'll see how you do on the remainder of the unit. Any idiot can have a lucky day, after all." Snape glided along the floor, circling the cauldrons and peering into a select few of them. He stopped suddenly in front of Malfoy's and looked as though he would be sick.

"What on earth is this mess?" he asked, sounding shocked and dismayed. "You are my best student, Mr. Malfoy. Tell me what you did wrong and I shall consider giving you extra time to complete today's work this evening."

"I stirred it the wrong way sir," Malfoy muttered.

"That is correct Mr. Malfoy. You and Mr. Zabini will meet me here at 7pm. Do not be late, or I shall have to repeal my decision to let you try again."

"He'd never let us try again," Ron whispered to Harry, and Harry quite agreed. But they had all long since stopped caring about Snape's favoritism of Malfoy. Harry was just happy that the Slytherin's work had actually come into question for once.

Potions class ended all too soon (for once), and Harry found himself standing in front of a group of second year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. They all stared up at him expectantly, waiting for him to begin. He looked to the back of the room where Tonks was sitting, smiling at him, her hair in an unusually conservative bun today, eyes as green as Harry's. When every student had settled in his or her seat and the bell rang signaling for class to begin, Harry cleared his throat quietly, and addressed the class.

"Good morning, everyone," he said, and the class chanted the same back to him. Having been forcibly reminded of Umbridge at that point, he decided on a slight change in his lesson plan.

"Will you all please stow your books away and take out your wands. We will begin with a bit of fun." Harry sneaked a glance at Tonks, and she nodded. Having gained her approval, he proceeded more confidently. "We will practice the stunning spell and the disarming spell today. I would like each of you to choose a partner. If anyone is left without one, I'm sure Professor Tonks will gladly lend us a hand."

He grinned as Tonks grimaced slightly, then replied, "Of course, Mr. Potter."

It turned out there was one skinny blond haired girl by the name of Brittany Maddox who had no partner, and Tonks got up to stand by her side. Harry levitated all the desks to one side of the room and conjured some floor mats to keep people from getting hurt. Tonks looked impressed with this, but she said nothing. Harry began his lesson.

"The disarming spell is done with a very slight flick of the wrist and the word 'Expelliarmus.'" Before you try it with your wands, please repeat the word with me.

"Expelliarmus," they all repeated.

"Very good," Harry said, "Now, each of you face your partner and cast the spell to disarm only. I don't want any dueling here."

He walked around the classroom, as he had done with the D.A. the previous year, and watched each pair as they cast the charm. About half of them were able to disarm their partners on the first try, and most of the rest accomplished the task on the second or third try. Only tiny Brittany seemed to be having a hard time. It looked like she was afraid to cast the spell at Professor Tonks, as though she thought she might get into trouble.

"Can I help somehow, Brittany?" Harry asked her.

"I…I don't know if I can do this," the small girl sighed heavily.

"Nonsense, go on. Disarming the Professor is no different than disarming any one else. I used this spell on Voldemort himself. If it works on him, it'll work on anyone."

The girl's eyes became large bulging circles at the mention of the Dark Lord. She trembled slightly, but took aim. "Expelliarmus," she squeaked, almost inaudibly. Harry was reminded of Dobby and Winky.

Harry whispered something in Tonks' ear and Tonks' bun suddenly stood on end, bright pink, and her eyes turned hazel. Brittany took a step back, and then laughed. "You're a Metamorphmagus?" she asked.

"Sure am," Tonks replied in her usual friendly voice. "Now, take aim and cast your spell. Just imagine I'm a fluffy pink bunny."

Brittany laughed, aimed her wand, and cried, "Expelliarmus," and Tonks' wand flew up and landed directly in Brittany's outstretched hand.

"Excellent, Brittany, that's ten points to Hufflepuff," Harry said, and the girl puffed up with pride.

The class returned their attention to Harry as he taught them the Stunning spell, and soon there were shouts of "Stupefy," all around the room. When Harry was satisfied with their performances, he awarded points to students he thought had done particularly well that day, and dismissed the class when time was up. Harry looked to Tonks, seeking approval.

"You did extremely well, Harry," Tonks said appraisingly. "I believe if you were only a graduate, I would not have this job at all. Although, I understand you have other aspirations in mind?"

"I'm hoping I can be an Auror, like you and Kingsley. It just seems like the way I'm meant to go," Harry replied.

Tonks nodded quietly, then added, "Still, if you ever change your mind about that, or find you've done all you were meant to do there, I'm sure Dumbledore will always be able to find room for you around here."

"Perhaps," said Harry, "But then, I do cause a lot of trouble around here. He might not want me back by the time I graduate."

"Well, he took Moony, didn't he?" Tonks reminded him. "Couldn't be much more trouble than the Marauders were, could ya?"

Harry laughed, and they said their goodbyes before he headed off to the Great Hall for lunch. He found Ginny there, pushing peas around on her plate but not eating them.

"What's the matter, Gin?" he asked her, startling her from her concentration on the peas.

"Oh, Harry, it's just been a hard first day back," she replied.

"Was Potions that bad?"

"Well, you know Snape. But really, it's just all the dire warnings about the OWLs. I'm scared to death I'll do as badly as the twins."

"Nonsense," Harry stated matter-of-factly. "The twins threw their grades on purpose. Those two are brilliant, just like your whole family, really. You're sure to do fine."

"But that's just what I'm afraid of," Ginny cried, "What if I only get three OWLs, even if I try really hard. What if I can't live up to their expectations?"

"You're far too smart for that. Your grades have been excellent so far. Why would that change now?"

"I suppose you're right, Harry. I just can't help worrying about it." She looked up into his eyes and smiled when she saw the concern on his face. "I'm sorry, I'm being silly. With you and Hermione helping me study, I can't go wrong, can I?"

"Absolutely, there's nothing to worry about."

They finished their lunch and headed toward the broom shed and the quidditch pitch. Harry suddenly realized they hadn't seen Ron or Hermione at lunch.

"Do you know what happened to Ron and Hermione? Only, they weren't at lunch just now. Did they come down during their break or something?"

"I saw them briefly after Potions. They waved but didn't stop to talk. They were headed outside. I dunno. Maybe they went for a walk and just haven't come back yet."

"Maybe, but it's not like Ron to miss a meal if he can help it."

"True enough. You don't think Malfoy hexed them or something?"

"Ron's faster than Malfoy, and Hermione could skunk him with her eyes closed. I doubt he'd be able to do anything that they couldn't undo faster."

"Well," she sighed, handing Harry his broom from the shed, "Let's get on with this. I don't know, really, if I'm going to be any good as a chaser."

"Don't think like that, Gin. You're going to be great. You're always great!" Harry was starting to feel foolish. Was love always this good at tying a young man's tongue? Ginny giggled and grabbed her own broom, leaving Harry to stare stupidly after her as she rose into the air. He shook his head and frowned at himself, then mounted his broom and took off after her.

Harry enjoyed the feel of the wind in his hair, the breeze playing happily with the ends of his robes. He watched Ginny soar, dip, hover, and dive, like a hawk seeking its prey. She grabbed up the quaffle and tossed it lightly through the left hoop, then frowned, thinking. She turned toward Harry and he got the message. He flew to the hoops and attempted to keep while she shot goal after goal at him. He suddenly felt a deep sympathy for Ron. This job was harder than he had anticipated. When their hour of break time was over, they flew sullenly back to the broom shed, packed their brooms and the quaffle away and began the short walk back to the castle.

"That wasn't bad, Gin," Harry said.

"It could've been better," she replied.

"You want to practice again tomorrow?" he offered.

"Oh, could we? Except, when do you have a break tomorrow?"

"I'll have to look at my timetable again, but if we don't have a break together, we could use lunch hour," he suggested.

"OK, let's do lunch hour for sure, then if we have break at the same time, maybe we can come out again."

"That's fine, but when are we going to do our homework?"

"Now you sound like Hermione!"

Harry laughed at himself. She was right, he did sound like Hermione. But he also remembered Hermione's warning in the carriages. He didn't want to get behind so much that homework would conflict with the D.A. or his lesson plans. He didn't want to start showing up unprepared in classes he was supposed to teach. He turned to Ginny and winked, then grinned. "Hermione's right, we need to study at some point too."

"Yeah, I know. We'll just have to do it at night, after dinner or something."

"Fine with me, as long as we do it."

They mounted the steps into the castle and Harry walked with Ginny to the steps that led up to the North Tower and Divination.

"Good luck up there," Harry said, tilting his head toward the staircase.

"Yeah, thanks," Ginny looked as though she would rather be anywhere but in Divination. "Can I just skive off today? Sit me in the back of your classroom under your invisibility cloak. Please?!" she begged, jokingly.

"Don't worry about that old cricket up there. She'll probably just predict someone's death, tell someone their cat's gonna die, and then shift between the tables looking at everyone's fake predictions."

Ginny giggled and leaned in to kiss Harry. Electricity passed from their lips to the tips of Harry's toes and fireworks erupted in his head. He stepped back slightly, his eyes wide again and whispered, "Maybe we better save those for when we're alone!"

"Yeah," she breathed, "Wow!"

Harry watched her walk up the stairs until she had passed beyond his line of sight. Then he moved toward Transfiguration where he found Ron and Hermione saving him a seat. As he sat down he heard Ron's stomach growl loudly.

"Didn't you two eat?" Harry asked, a grin playing at his lips.

Ron blushed a deeper scarlet than Harry had ever seen on him. Hermione was blushing too, but she answered matter-of-factly, "We were having a good conversation and the time just got away from us. We'll just have to have a big dinner."

Harry laughed quietly and wondered what kind of conversation they had that would keep Ron from eating and cause him to blush so badly, but he let it go at that. His mind wandered to Ginny and her Divination class, and a phrase suddenly erupted into his thoughts.

_So, what exactly do you _think _they were doing?_

'I dunno, but it must have been interesting.' Images played in his mind and he tried to push them away, but not quickly enough.

_Ew, maybe having a connection to a boy's mind isn't such a great thing after all!_

'Sorry, Gin. That's just the way boys are. Anyway, how's class so far?'

_It's ok, I guess. She hasn't given out any death predictions yet, but we'll see how long that lasts…wait…oh, no, there she goes. Apparently Luna's gonna kick the bucket in May. Or maybe it's her cat. _

Harry chuckled aloud, and Ron looked at him like he thought he was going nuts. Harry noticed then that class had begun and that everyone was staring at him. He looked up at Professor McGonagall's angry face and realized he must have missed something important. "I'm so sorry, Professor, I didn't mean…I mean…" he had no idea how to continue.

Professor McGonagall sighed and said, "Now that you, Mr. Potter, are done with your daydreaming, perhaps we can continue? I would like you to demonstrate the proper conjuring of a floor mat, please."

"Oh, of course, Professor," Harry replied, and he quickly produced the mat. As he stowed his wand he looked up at McGonagall to see if she was satisfied. She looked stunned, but quickly straightened herself.

"Very good, Mr. Potter, I would award points, but seeing as how I should remove a few for your lack of attention, we'll call it a draw, shall we?" Harry smiled politely and nodded, grateful she had at least not taken any points away. She returned to the blackboard and placed notes on the board with her wand. Harry opened his roll of parchment and scribbled down the notes, once again tuning out of the lesson.

'You got me in trouble.' He shot toward the North Tower.

_Not nearly as much trouble as you got me in._ She shot back. _Trelawney took twenty points from Gryffindor. She said I was insulting her. I think she thought I was trying to mimic her with a 'far off look' or something._

Harry chuckled again, more quietly this time, but Ron still caught it.

"What the devil is so funny?" he whispered.

"Nothing, sorry," Harry whispered back. "It was just something Ginny said…at lunch I mean." Phew, that was close, he thought.

_Sure was_

'Sorry'

_S'ok_

"Merlin, Harry, where do you go when your eyes tune out like that?" Ron asked. He wasn't whispering anymore and Harry realized then that everyone was practicing the mat-conjuring that Harry had demonstrated.

"Oh, I was just thinking," Harry replied. This wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the whole truth. Ron looked at Harry skeptically, then gave it up in favor of the assignment.

"Can you help me with this? Hermione is busy helping Neville," Ron asked.

"Sure," said Harry, and he showed Ron how to do the spell. They worked on it together for a little while before Harry's curiosity resurfaced and he took advantage of Hermione's absence. "So what kind of conversation was it?" Harry asked.

"Huh?" Ron was caught off guard.

"You know, the one that kept a hungry Weasley from the lunch table?" Harry eyed him suspiciously.

"Oh, Harry," Ron tried to dismiss him. But Harry gave him a knowing look, and Ron took the bait. "Well, we were actually talking, at first. But then…"

Harry's eyebrows raised as Ron continued to describe where they had been at lunch.

"The library, Ron?" Harry said, disappointed, "You were looking things up in the library?"

"Yeah, well, Hermione wanted to find…well I told her that my parents could…don't laugh Harry…" Ron misread Harry's expression for mirth when Harry was really quite sure what they had been looking for.

"Your parents can read each other's minds?" Harry supplied.

"How did you know?" Ron asked.

"Ginny told me about it. So were you looking up something about that?"

"Yeah, Hermione wants to know how it works. She thinks it would be fun to be able to do it."

"Can you?" Harry asked.

"Well, no, of course not. Otherwise we'd have started dating a while ago, wouldn't we, since we would each have known how the other felt much sooner."

"Perhaps," Harry agreed, but wondered if that was really so. He smiled to himself as he felt Ginny's presence again in the back of his mind, and tried to open his conversation with Ron to her. He felt her giggle and her thoughts came through clearly, _great, they can help us find it, and they won't even know it's us who want to know._

"How about if Ginny and I help you look for it," Harry suggested. "Maybe we can find it faster if we all look for it together."

"Sure, why not. I'll ask Hermione."

"All right everyone," McGonagall called from the front of the class. Harry and Ron turned to face her and Hermione returned from Neville's desk and sat down beside Ron. "Your homework is on the board. It is due on Friday. I'll see you all Wednesday." The sound of quills scratching on parchment echoed through the room. Harry finished copying down the homework, stuffed his things in his bag unceremoniously, and stood beside Ron who was waiting for Hermione. She finished as well, and the three of them made their way out into the corridor and up the stairs to the common room. Ginny met them at the portrait hole and smiled impishly at Harry before climbing through ahead of him. They took their things to their dorm rooms and met back by the fire to go to dinner together. Harry took Ginny's hand in his and Ron did the same with Hermione.

"Hermione, Harry and Ginny want to help us look up that mind-link thing. Is that OK with you?" Ron asked as they descended the steps toward the Great Hall.

"Oh, sure, that would be fine. Only, don't tell anyone else what we're looking for. I wouldn't want to spread it around or anything. Apparently only really powerful witches and wizards can do it. And I think there has to be some other kind of connection too. Anyway, it's sure to be in the restricted section. We'll have a time getting permission to go in there."

They had reached the Gryffindor table and were sitting down when Malfoy came sauntering over.

"So, it seems Potter's got it bad for the littlest weasel," he started.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Harry threw back.

"What's the matter, can't admit it to her face that you're in love with a low-life, mudblood loving, freckle-faced freak?" Malfoy taunted.

"As a matter of fact, I already told her that I'm in love with her, and she's the sweetest, most honorable, muggle-born loving, adorably freckled witch in this school, or any other. Thanks for noticing."

Malfoy looked confused and sickened at the same time. He shook his head as though trying to clear it of cobwebs and glared at Harry. His sneer finally returned though, and he let one more insult fly. "Well, we'll just have to see if she sticks with the likes of you, then, won't we. Someone so honorable ought to be on the arm of someone who doesn't go breaking the law and convincing the Ministry not to punish him for it."

"Only you would know what it's like living with someone like that," Harry returned, and Malfoy instantly turned his wand on him.

"What's all this then?" Snape called from the front of the room. "Ten points from Gryffindor for provoking my student, Mr. Potter. Now, get on with your dinners before I have you all escorted out of the Great Hall for dueling."

Harry knew better than to retort to Snape's unfair treatment. He scowled and sat down next to Ginny, who promptly kissed his cheek. "What was that for?" Harry asked, suddenly smiling again.

"What you said to Malfoy," she said. "That was really sweet of you."

"It's only the truth."

"Get a room," Seamus cried from across the table, and they laughed.


	10. Tryouts and Tripups

**Chapter Ten: Tryouts and Trip-ups**

The first week passed by them quickly, much more so than in previous years, Harry thought. And Ginny agreed. She and Harry were waiting on the quidditch pitch for Ron to start the tryouts. Ginny chewed her fingernails nervously while Harry whispered to her soothingly.

"It's Ron, after all. He won't turn you down."

"He will if there's someone better – I'd make him."

"There's not likely to be anyone better than you, Gin. You did great at all our practices this week. You were right up there with Angelina and Alicia. They would've been proud to fly with you. If we could have you and the two of them back, we'd be a shoe-in for the cup."

"Is Katie staying on the team?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, here she comes now. I wonder why she turned down the captaincy though." Harry watched Katie greet Ron and then turn her attention to him. She walked over and sat beside Harry and Ginny.

"So, you two gonna join us then?" she asked lightly.

"We sure hope so," Harry returned.

"Don't be daft, Harry. No one can seek like you can. We'd be off our rockers not to have you back. We only wish we could have kept you last year."

"Well, thanks to Ron and Ginny, it didn't hurt our winning streak," Harry reminded.

"No kidding. McGonagall wanted me to be captain, but I told her Ron was a better choice. He and Angelina worked together a lot before that last game. He had all kinds of ideas and strategies. Then he was brilliant in that game…" Katie trailed off and followed Ron's gate across the pitch as he planned out his tryout strategy. Harry wondered if Hermione didn't have a bit of competition. Ginny's raised eyebrow told him she was thinking along the same lines.

"'Course nothing was so spectacular as Ginny's catching the snitch right under Cho's nose. That was some pretty terrific flying if I ever saw any." Katie turned her gaze on Ginny's blushing face and smiled.

"She wasn't even paying attention," Ginny said. "Anyone could have done that."

"You were half way across the field. It's amazing you made it around all those players to catch it before it flew off again!" Katie nearly shrieked her excitement. Harry grinned proudly and Ginny turned a deeper shade of scarlet.

"You see, Gin, I told you you'd do fine!" Harry reminded her jovially.

The rest of the Gryffindor team wannabes had arrived and Ron called them all to attention.

"All right," he began, "We have two chaser positions, two beater positions, and the seeker position to fill."

"What happened to Sloper and Kirke?" Harry asked.

"They quit," Ron answered flatly, clearly not disturbed by this fact.

"All those who are trying for chaser, go to the far end of the pitch with Katie Bell."

A line of students began to move in that direction. "Well, that's me," Ginny said, and she kissed Harry's cheek and stood up.

"Good luck," he called as she walked away.

"Not that she'll need it," said Katie.

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

"You should have seen her, Harry. She's got my vote already!" Katie turned and followed the chaser wannabes to the other end of the pitch and Harry smiled after her. Playing quidditch with Ron and Ginny on the team was going to be way too much fun!

"Beaters, please choose a partner. I'll let loose one bludger and you take turns sending it toward each other through the hoops on this end. If you miss the bludger or it doesn't go through the hoop, or if it doesn't go toward your partner, you'll be disqualified. Mount your brooms and come with me."

The rest of the students stood and followed Ron and Harry noticed he was left by himself. 'Guess no one else wanted to be seeker,' he thought.

_They all know you're the best._

'Keep your mind on that quaffle!' Harry scolded, but realized then how unnecessary it was for her to do so. She was spinning, quaffle tucked under her left arm, reeling headlong toward the far end goal posts. The quaffle sailed past Katie as though she were not even there, and Harry cheered and whistled.

_Why thank you!_

'You deserve it.'

_Here it comes again! Watch this!_

Harry laughed aloud as she stole the quaffle from another person and sailed away. Three others tried to catch up with her but she dove and twirled, sending them crashing into the ground, grass stains sprouting up on their robes. She swerved past another would-be opponent and tossed the quaffle in again. It soared over Katie's head and Harry let out another whoop of applause. Ginny grinned and fell back a bit from the others.

_I wonder who else is any good_

'Check out Abercrombie! He's little, but he's fast!'

_Wow, no kidding! But he's only a second year. _

Euan Abercrombie zoomed past Ginny just then, nearly throwing her off balance as he cornered around her. He hovered over her head a moment, holding the quaffle out as though daring her to try and get it from him. She took the bait and chased after him as he climbed higher. They whizzed around the pitch, leaving the others in their wake unable to catch up. Euan swished back and forth, to and fro like a little waterfall dancing over the rocks in its upturned riverbed. Ginny crossed his path several times, trying to upset his balance, but couldn't touch him. Finally Euan approached the hoops at break-neck speed and tossed in the quaffle. Ron, having finished with the beater tryouts, noticed this last goal and blew his whistle.

"Chasers please return. Beaters take your seats," he called.

When everyone had gathered again, Ron split them up into groups of five, three chasers, two beaters each, and set them to play games against each other. He observed the mini-games while Katie came and sat by Harry again.

"It's gonna be like a whole new team," she said.

"Yeah, but a good one by the looks of it," he replied.

"Did you see Abercrombie?" she asked.

"Sure did! He's really good."

"Small though."

"Who cares? I was a first year when I started, and no one gets beat up more than the seeker! Besides they can't hurt him if they can't catch him, can they?"

"You're right there, Harry. Did you see any others you thought were good?"

"There were a couple of fourth year boys, I think their names are Morley and Lamb, but they weren't nearly as good as Ginny and Euan. They are bigger, though, and didn't drop the quaffle like some of the others." Harry hoped he was convincing Katie to recommend Ginny without sounding like he was doing it only out of loyalty to his girlfriend.

"You're right," Katie agreed. "They are bigger, and not total idiots," Harry panicked a bit, and Katie laughed at the worried expression on his face, "But Ginny and Euan are unbeatable. And they'll have a time catching up with either of them! I think my mind's made up."

"What about the beaters? I didn't watch that at all," Harry admitted.

"Had your eyes on a pretty little red-head the whole time, did ya?" Katie teased, and Harry blushed in spite of himself. He grinned lazily at Ginny as she worked with her temporary teammates, and then dragged his attention back to Katie.

"I guess I can't help myself. Anyway, what about them?" He tilted his head toward the players and Ron.

"I have my money on Lincoln Portman and Anthony Dearborn. They at least hit the bludger consistently back and forth to each other without missing. The others all had to stop and run after the bludger at least once."

"Hmm, is that them on Ginny's team?" Harry asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. What do you think?"

"So far so good. They haven't let the bludger hit her yet, or Euan either."

Katie grinned and turned to watch the mini-game that was in progress. Ginny and Euan and their third chaser, whose name Harry didn't know, swerved and swished gracefully through the sky. Portman's bat connected with the bludger and sent it toward the opposing team. One of their chasers dodged past it, but the one with the quaffle turned away from it too late and she was caught by it on one leg. She dropped the quaffle and Ginny swooped down to catch it. Ginny tucked the quaffle under her left arm again and shot toward the goal posts. She feigned left, dodged another player as she swerved right, then ducked under Dearborn as his bat caught the bludger and sent it away again. She passed the quaffle to Euan then, and he instantly scored since Ron had been preparing for Ginny and not Euan.

Harry and Katie cheered and Ron blew his whistle. One of the players that Harry didn't know picked up the quaffle and brought it back. Then Ron changed the teams and started again. This time Ginny was paired with Seamus and Dean with two third years as beaters. Her team was sent up to play against Euan's. Portman and Dearborn were among the spectators. Harry worried about Ginny getting hit without them there, but his worries were soon abated. Whether her beater teammates hit the bludgers away or not, Ginny seemed to swerve past them with ease. The game ended at Ron's whistle with the two teams tied at forty points each. Ron directed the players to return to the bleachers and Harry soon found himself surrounded by them all. He looked around for Ginny and spotted her talking with Euan. He made his way through the crowd so he could congratulate her.

"You did really well," she was saying to Euan.

"Not as well as you, though. You're amazing."

Ginny blushed and grinned. She turned to Harry and smiled as he approached her.

He took her hand in his and whispered in her ear, "Looks like you've got an admirer there."

"You're not jealous are you?" Ginny whispered back.

"Only of your flying! Where'd you learn to do all of that? I thought you were good in practice, but that was amazing!"

Ginny smiled but turned her attention toward Ron who was concluding the tryouts with a nice little speech.

"…You all did just fine. I'll be posting the results in the common room in one week. Please don't ask me before then." The players all groaned and stood to leave. Harry, Ginny, and Katie held back, intending to help Ron put away the ball crate and brooms.

"You didn't test me," Harry said as Ron came over to them.

"There was no one for you to compete against. Don't worry Harry. You're in."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry chuckled, and he helped him lift the ball crate into the broom shed. They deposited it on the floor and went to gather the brooms. When they had finished the four of them walked back to the castle together. Katie waved goodbye to them at the Entrance Hall and Harry, Ron and Ginny went in search of Hermione.

"She'll be in the library," Ron said knowingly. "She always sits in there when we have quidditch practices. She watches from the window and pretends to read." They turned down the corridor and headed into the library, and sure enough, there she sat, a book in one hand, the other absently playing with her hair as she read.

"Hermione," Harry called, and she looked up suddenly, as though startled to see them there.

"Oh, are you done already?" she asked.

"Mione, I saw you watching from the window." Ron looked fit to burst with laughter. Hermione feigned an offended look.

"I only watched for a moment," she huffed. Ron's smile grew wider and he took a step closer to Hermione. He put one arm around her waist and the other he used to tickle her ribs. "Stop Ron…oh gosh, no, stop!"

Madame Pince came by then and sent them all out. They laughed when they reached the corridor, and Ron continued his tickle torture.

"OK, Ok," Hermione gasped. "I admit it. I watched the whole thing."

"So what do you think?" Ron asked her pointedly.

"I think Ginny and that second year are your best bets. The beaters, though, I don't know their names. They were fourth years I think."

"Portman and Dearborn?" Harry offered.

"Yes, I think that's them," Hermione agreed.

"Then it looks like we're all in agreement," Ron shrugged, then added, "I hope we win this year."

"Did any of you notice," Harry asked thoughtfully, "that the Slytherin team didn't show up to taunt us this time? When has Malfoy ever missed an opportunity to throw insults at us?"

"Maybe we just caught him by surprise," Ron suggested. "He probably wasn't expecting us to hold tryouts so soon."

"That wouldn't have stopped him last year," Ginny remarked.

"Maybe he's sick or something," Hermione mused. "Perhaps we should check the hospital wing?"

"Let's just count our lucky stars he wasn't there and leave it at that," Ron said.

"I'm with Hermione," Harry said, suddenly stopping in front of them and causing Ron to run into his back.

"Oof! Hey, what are you…" Ron began, but Harry had already turned left and was headed toward the hospital wing. "Harry, where are you going?"

"Come on. Let's find out what that slime ball is up to!" Harry replied, almost running now in his haste, hoping to discover the cause of Malfoy's non-appearance. 'Maybe he's…."

The four friends rounded the last corner into the hospital wing and peered in through the windows on the main door. It seemed to be empty but for a first year who looked more homesick than anything. Disappointed, Harry skulked back down the hallway toward the Great Hall for dinner.

"Oh, Harry, you're being just like him, hoping to catch him up to something," Ginny scolded. Harry knew she was right, but he still resented being compared to Malfoy.

"I'm not trying to catch him up to something," Harry lied.

"Ok and I'm not the first Weasley girl in several generations either," she reprimanded him.

"All right, I admit it, but…" But he really could not think of a decent excuse. He scowled at the floor and continued onward.

"Harry, look," Ron suddenly stopped and pointed down a passing corridor. Harry looked up searching for what Ron had spotted.

"What?" he asked irritably, not seeing what Ron was getting at.

"Malfoy…" Ron said in a low quiet voice.

Harry looked closer. A wisp of white blonde hair poked out from behind a large statue. Harry raised one finger to his lips and motioned for the others to stay where they were. He inched his way quietly toward the wisp of hair. As he got closer he could eventually make out Malfoy's cheek and shoulder, a foot, and then the left leg. He suddenly realized that Malfoy wasn't moving at all. He seemed to be stunned or something. 'Probably tried to duel someone and got the unlucky end of it,' he thought.

_Is he ok, Harry?_

"I think you guys better come down here," Harry said, unable to conceal the worry in his voice. "We better get him to Madame Pomfrey."

He heard Hermione gasp as she approached the still and battered form of their long time enemy. Ron muttered something unintelligible under his breath, for which Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, and Ginny stooped down to survey the damage more carefully.

"This doesn't look like the sort of thing a student would do," she said, her mouth turned down in a frown as she lifted one of Malfoy's arms and placed it on her own shoulder. Harry did the same on Malfoy's other side, and together they hoisted him up.

"We'll take him down there and meet you two in the Great Hall," Harry told Ron and Hermione.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come along, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"We'll be fine. What can he do to us if he isn't even conscious?" Hermione still looked worried, but Harry shrugged her off. "If we're not back to the Great Hall in twenty minutes, come look for us."

"All right, Harry," Ron said, taking Hermione's arm and steering her away. "See ya down there."

Harry and Ginny pulled the unconscious Malfoy down the corridor and into the hospital wing. Ginny levitated him up onto a bed while Harry went to find Madame Pomfrey. She clucked and tisked all the way from her office to Malfoy's bedside.

"Dueling in the corridors again I suppose. I should get the headmaster down here to deal with the two of you."

"We just found him like that, honest," Ginny defended, "We were just on our way down to the Great Hall from the library when we saw him. Besides, dueling wouldn't do that to his face!"

Madame Pomfrey took a closer look at the bruises and scrapes on Malfoy's pale face and drew in her breath a bit. "I don't know what happened here, but I think one of you had better go and get Professor Dumbledore."

"I'll go," said Harry. He dashed up the stairs to the gargoyle statue, tossed out a few sweet names and finally managed to reveal the staircase when he said "Canary Creams." Harry bounded up the spiral steps and rapped on the door at the top.

"Come in," he heard Professor Dumbledore say.

Harry stepped in quietly. He surveyed the office quickly, taking notice that all of Dumbledore's little silver instruments had been repaired and placed on the desk as before. "Professor, Madame Pomfrey needs to see you," Harry finally explained, "We found Malfoy in a corridor near the Great Hall. He doesn't look too good. We don't know what happened."

"Let's go and see," the aged headmaster said, and they walked in silence back to the hospital wing.

"May I be of some assistance to you, Madame Pomfrey?" Dumbledore said as they entered the room.

"I've given him noni juice and some willow bark, but I need some phoenix tears for the face, Professor," she responded, not looking away from the injured Slytherin.

"You're in luck. I just collected some this morning," Dumbledore smiled and pulled a crystal vile out of his robes. "I was going to bring this by after dinner. It should be enough."

"Thank you, Albus," she said, and promptly opened the vile and spread a few drops of the milky liquid on her fingers before smoothing it carefully over Malfoy's face.

"Now there's just the matter of how Mr. Malfoy came to be in this condition in the first place," said the wise old professor. "Can you enlighten us any, Harry?"

"We found him this way," Harry said, "I have no idea what happened. We had just been talking about how he didn't show up to taunt us at our quidditch tryouts. We were on our way to dinner. He was just lying there, behind that big statue of Uric the Oddball."

"I see. Well, perhaps Mr. Malfoy can enlighten us more," said the professor, and then he turned his wand on the prone boy. "Enervate," he muttered. Malfoy's eyes fluttered open and he suddenly sat up. His face was contorted in rage and fear and his eyes held a fire Harry had never seen before.

"What happened, where is Parvati?" Malfoy asked.


	11. The Ptolemy Bond

**Chapter Eleven: The Ptolemy Bond**

"We were hoping you could tell us what happened, Mr. Malfoy," replied Dumbledore.

Malfoy seemed to realize where he was for the first time then. He looked around, bewilderment and worry replacing the anger on his face. "He took her. We were out on the grounds, by the lake. We were just talking. I don't know how he knew. He came and…we have to find Parvati. He took her!" Malfoy fairly leapt off the bed at that point and began a mad dash for the door.

"Hold on there Mr. Malfoy," said Madame Pomfrey, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're in no shape to be going anywhere."

"I have to stop him. I have to find her before…Oh, God, what am I going to do?" Malfoy visibly paled, leaned his back against the wall, and sank to the floor.

"Who has Parvati, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked quietly, but Harry recognized a note of concern in his voice.

The blonde boy looked up at the headmaster warily and seemed to be struggling with some internal conflict. He rested his head in his hands in defeat and finally whispered, as though hoping no one would hear, "My father."

Dumbledore trilled a high whistling note and Fawkes suddenly appeared on his shoulder. Headmaster and songbird disappeared in a puff of red and gold sparks. They were gone a full five minutes, and Harry watched Malfoy grow paler and begin to tremble as they waited. When Dumbledore and Fawkes finally reappeared, Dumbledore was supporting an unconscious Parvati in his arms. He gently laid her on a bed and turned to the others.

"Draco, please stay in the hospital wing through the night. I would like Madame Pomfrey to keep an eye on both you and Miss Patil a little while longer. Harry, Ginny, you may go. But please do not speak of what has transpired here. This is not information meant for all ears."

"Yes, sir," Harry and Ginny spoke in unison, and they turned to leave the hospital wing.

"Harry, what do you think happened?" Ginny asked when they had walked some distance.

"I don't know for sure, but it seems like Lucius Malfoy found his way onto Hogwarts grounds. I'd think the wards would have kept him away."

"I'd have thought Azkaban would have kept him away," Ginny answered, her voice rising slightly.

"Sssh, keep it down," Harry whispered, looking around. 'Someone's following us,' he pushed his thoughts forcefully toward her.

_Let's just hurry up and get to the Great Hall_

'Come in here with me,' he thought, and pulled her into an empty classroom.

_I don't like this, Harry._

They huddled in a corner of the room and waited. The sound of footsteps drew closer and Harry caught sight of Mr. Filch's moldy coattail.

"It's just Filch," Harry said aloud.

"But where was Mrs. Norris?" Ginny wondered.

"Good question," Harry replied, "he hasn't been away from her much since she got petrified four years ago. Look around. Maybe she's nearby."

They stepped out into the corridor and peered up and down. There was no sign of Mrs. Norris anywhere. Harry shrugged and said, "Who knows? Maybe it's cat nap time just now."

"Well, let's get on to dinner, then," Ginny said, and they made their way quickly to the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione were just leaving when they got there.

"Oi, Harry, where have you two been? We were just going out to look for you," Ron exclaimed.

"Never mind," said Harry, "I'll tell you when we're alone. Dumbledore said not to spread it around."

"Ron, can we go in now? Only, I'd like a small bite of dinner. It's been a long day for me." Ginny looked a bit annoyed at this point as she eyed the disappearing food on the Gryffindor table.

"Oh, right," said Ron, stepping out of the way, and Ginny walked past him and sat down. Harry stayed behind a moment.

"Look guys, don't tell anyone about Malfoy or where we found him, ok?"

"Ok, but what's happened?"

"I don't know the whole story, but it has something to do with someone we know and it could be embarrassing for her."

"Harry, who?" asked Hermione, Ron just looked puzzled.

"I'll tell you later," Harry insisted, and he moved toward the table to sit beside Ginny. Ron and Hermione waved goodbye and left, presumably to go back to the Common Room. Harry and Ginny ate quietly, and then they, too, left for the Common Room. When they arrived Ron and Hermione were not there. Harry and Ginny sat in their favorite spot by the fire and waited for the other two to return. Neville came by and sat down with them. He wore a broad smile and leaned back in the comfy chair looking up at the ceiling. He had a dazed look, like something unbelievable had happened. Harry studied him quizzically, hoping Neville would say something. Finally curiosity overtook him and Harry had to ask.

"What's up with you, Neville?"

"Hmm?" Neville's eyes held a dreamy, unearthly look as he turned them toward Harry to respond.

"Look at you, you'd think you just got Snape sacked or something," Harry chuckled.

"Better," said Neville.

"What could be better than being rid of Snape?" Ginny asked him.

"Luna," Neville said. Then he suddenly blushed a deep crimson, as though he had not meant to say that name out loud.

"Luna?" asked Harry, astounded, "Loony Lovegood?" He was immediately sorry for using the common nickname. Neville's look made Harry cringe.

"Don't call her that," Neville stood up and shouted, "She's not loony. She's the most incredible girl who ever lived!" Neville blushed again and looked around at all the staring faces. He suddenly burst out again, "That's right, go on, tell the whole school if you want. Luna Lovegood is my girlfriend. She just said yes today!" The broad smile returned to Neville's face even as he crossed his arms defensively over his puffed out chest."

"Neville, that's terrific!" said Harry.

"I'm really happy for you," Ginny added.

"Thanks," said Neville proudly, and he shook his short hair back, let his arms fall to his sides and strode purposefully toward the sixth year boys dorm room. Ron and Hermione came back just then. Hermione sat on the couch next to Ginny and Ron on the chair beside Hermione. They looked happy for some reason, as neither could manage to wipe the grins from their faces.

"First Neville, and now you two? Why is everyone so happy today?"

"We found it Harry," Hermione exclaimed.

"Found what?" Harry asked, confused.

"You know, that subject we've been looking up in the library?"

"Oh, is that where you've been?" Ginny asked

"Yeah, come on, we'll show you," Ron said, standing up from his chair again.

"Hold on there, prefect, isn't it getting a bit late?" Ginny teased him.

"We still have an hour before curfew. That's plenty of time. Come on, aren't you two even the least bit interested?" Hermione prodded.

"All right, all right, let's go," Harry agreed, hoping he had stalled long enough to keep the amount of interest he had in this subject secret. "But let's get my cloak just in case we lose track of time." Harry dashed up to their dorm, smiled at Neville who lay face up on his bed, still daydreaming, scooped his cloak and the Marauders Map out of his trunk and returned to his friends.

"Ok," he said, "let's go,"

"Here it is," said Hermione while opening a large and dusty volume entitled _Wizard Marriage Rites and the Magical Results_. She read from the pages.

In Medieval times the great wizard Ptolemy created a bonding ritual for couples to help them gain greater trust in one another. The individuals thus bonded could hear one another's thoughts and respond in like manner. (See illustration 4a for details on how the ritual is performed.) Many marriages have been saved because of this bonding, though a few have come to an abrupt end, having undeniably confirmed fears of disloyalty. Unmarried couples can participate in the ritual with some success, but generally will not fully realize their ability until the marriage vows have been completed. Only the most powerful and often darkest wizards have been able to form such a bond without the aid of the ritual. Generally it has occurred after said powerful or dark wizards and/or witches have experienced a life altering, life endangering event together or when one has been placed under a life debt to the other. Two persons who have entered into a strong Ptolemy Thought Projection Bond are able to cast their thoughts into one another's minds from any distance apart. Those with a weaker bond must look one another in the eye to 'hear' each other's thoughts. Parents have found the bond especially useful…

"He goes on from there, but that's the main idea of it," Hermione said. She looked up at Ron, Ginny and Harry and asked, "What?" of their ashen faces.

Ron squeaked, "What kind of ritual is it?"

Harry thought, 'Powerful or dark?"

Ginny responded to Harry _Life altering…like the Chamber._

Hermione was showing Ron the picture of the ritual and explaining the individual parts to him, but Harry had tuned that mostly out. 'Ginny, am I a dark wizard?'

_Don't be ridiculous, Harry. You would know if you were a dark wizard. I'll bet you're just a really powerful one._

'But, I'm no more powerful than Ron, and Hermione has always had better grades.'

_Grades don't make a wizard powerful, Harry. A wizard's heart makes him powerful. His desire, his ability to give and love, and his choices for good or ill are what make a wizard grow in power. That's what my mum always said._

'What about Voldemort, then? How is he so powerful when he has never loved a single soul?'

_He has had strong desires, though, hasn't he? He has always been compelled by his desire for control over the wizarding world._

"Harry, Ginny, come and look at this," Hermione cut in on their mental banter. "I think we could do it. There are just a couple of things we would need to get, but I would bet we can find them in Hogsmeade in a couple of weeks." She was staring avidly at the page, running her finger up and down as she scanned the list of necessary items. Ron, peering warily over her shoulder, didn't look as excited as Hermione.

"I dunno, Mione," he said. That looks a little…well…"

"Oh Ron, really. It's just a simple ceremony. It's not going to kill you."

"But, it says we have to bring with us a bit of what we're most afraid of. That means I have to bring a spider, doesn't it?"

"Yes, I suppose it does," Hermione said unsympathetically.

"What about you then? Are you going to deliberately fail a test so you can bring the bad grade with you?" Ron demanded.

"Look guys," Harry interrupted. "I don't mean to intrude, but can we get back to the common room soon? We've been here too long already."

"Right," Ron agreed promptly, and he began to move toward the doors.

"Just let me copy this down first," Hermione said, eagerly pulling out a parchment and quill and muttering a spell. The quill jumped to life on the parchment making an exact replica of the illustrated ritual and the list of necessary items. When it was finished, she rolled up the parchment, stuffed it and the quill back in her bag, and looked up at the others expectantly. "All right, let's go."

"Check your map first, Harry," Ron suggested.

"Right," Harry replied and pulled out the tattered parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Harry muttered. The map revealed itself and Harry scanned it for Mr. Filch, Mrs. Norris, and any teacher that might be patrolling the corridors.

"That's odd," Harry said, looking more closely. "Filch isn't on here anywhere, and neither is Mrs. Norris. At least I can't see them right now."

"Well, is the way to Gryffindor Tower clear?" Ron asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, it appears to be. Let's use the cloak just in case," Harry replied.

Harry pointed his wand at the cloak and said, "Engorgio," and it doubled in size. He and Ginny held it up so Hermione and Ron could duck under it, and they all moved as quietly as they could out of the deserted library and into the corridor. They had taken only five or six steps before they saw someone coming up ahead.

"It's Filch," Ginny whispered in Ron's ear and they all plastered themselves against a wall, making sure their shoes were covered by the cloak. They watched the crotchety old caretaker pass and go into the library to check for students in there.

"I thought you said it was clear," hissed Ron as they continued quickly down the corridor.

"It was," Harry hissed back. "And I told you before; Filch wasn't even on the map."

"Mrs. Norris wasn't with him again," Ginny whispered.

They reached the common room just then and Hermione said the password, "Flobberworm." The portrait swung open and the four pulled the cloak off and climbed into the common room.

"What do you mean Mrs. Norris wasn't with him again?" Ron asked Ginny.

"Earlier today, after we saw Malfoy and took him to hospital, we saw Filch. We thought he was following us at first, but we ducked into an empty classroom and he passed by us without looking for us. Mrs. Norris wasn't with him then either." Ginny explained.

"What difference does that make? She was probably off somewhere watching some students get into trouble."

"What I want to know," Harry interjected, "is why he seems to have made himself unplottable? Why didn't he show up on the map?" Harry looked at the map again and scanned the library for Filch. There was nothing there. "He's still not on here, even though we've a pretty good guess where he's at."

"That is odd," said Hermione. She glanced over Harry's shoulder at the map and frowned. "What do you suppose it means?" she asked.

"Maybe he's found out about that map and doesn't want to be on it so he can catch us one of these times," Ron suggested.

"There are only a few people in the world who know anything about this map, and I can't think of a single one who would tell Filch about it," Harry argued. "The only one who isn't a friend is Petigrew, and he's got better things to do than worry about Filch's student catching skills."

"Harry's right, Ron," Hermione agreed, "But, why, then, would Filch make himself unplottable? Do you think he's hiding from something, or someone?"

"Who knows? But it wouldn't be an effective way to hide, would it? Everyone knows he works at Hogwarts," Ron supplied.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to get any Owls from people," Ginny said uncaringly, "Look, guys, I'm beat! Let's call it a night, eh?"

"Yeah, I agree," said Harry, "I need some sleep. I'm sure whatever Filch is up to, it's his business anyway. G'night Gin," He kissed her cheek and she smiled before walking up the steps to her dorm room. Harry went to his and sat on his bed. He vaguely wondered how long Ron and Hermione were planning to take about saying goodnight, but kept his mind mainly on the topic of Filch's unplotability. He lay in his bed a long time and noted that Ron had still not come up as he drifted off to sleep.

_The unicorn in the statue bobbed its head slightly as if to welcome him back. Harry walked over to where Ginny had waited for him in previous visits, but she was not there. He sat on the side of the fountain to wait for her. He looked into the waters in the basin and saw some fairies dancing upon the surface. Beneath them the water sparkled and glistened, revealing the pebbly stone below. _

"_Harry?" she called from some distance away._

"_Ginny, I'm here."_

"_Where are you? I can't see you?"_

_A swirling blackness engulfed him and he was standing in a dark, moist underground chamber. The light from the torches on the wall cast an eerie shadow over the sleeping form of a thin man. The pale skin of his arm revealed bruises and scrapes under numberless freckles. A tuft of red hair poked out from under the man's robes, but the face was mostly covered. A pale, blonde haired man sat just outside the cell. His eyes stood open in rapt attention, but his body language spoke of intense weariness._

"_You appear to have done well, Lucius," Harry said, "but I am saddened by this news of your son's disclosure. His loyalty has been tested and has been found wanting. Unless he gives up this silly emotional attachment, I am afraid he will not be suitable for my ranks at all."_

"_My Lord, I have dealt with my son and I do not believe he will cross me further. He will not have the strength to do so for some time."_

"_Ah, and yet, the barmy old headmaster himself came to your home to retrieve the girl, even after this punishment you so swiftly administered. I am not so sure your son is altogether on our side, Lucius. Is the father as wayward as the son, I wonder?"_

"_No, my Lord, please, my Lord," Lucius groveled at the feet of his master._

"_Crucio," Harry spat, pointing the yew wand in his hand at the prone man. A cackling laugh echoed through the dungeon mingled with the screams of the loyal Death Eater. The man in the cell awoke and sat up. The cloak fell from his face revealing a gaunt, distressed expression. The young man backed slowly away from the cell's bars and into the stone wall behind him. He seemed almost to meld his body right onto the stone in his desire to break through._

_Harry looked at the cringing man in the cell and smiled wickedly. "I take it you are expecting me to do that to you, as well? I will offer you the same deal as before. All the fame and notoriety the wizarding community can offer you, a title and office that you have always desired to hold, women begging to be in your company, riches beyond any you have ever dreamed, and a partnership with me, or…"_

"_Go on and torture me, if you so desire," the red-haired man said in a trembling voice, "kill me off at last, I would prefer it. But I shall never disgrace my family's name by joining you."_

"_As you wish," Harry proclaimed and aimed the yew wand at the young man. _

"_No! Percy," another voice erupted upon the scene then. "You evil monster!" she spat at Harry. _

_Cold red eyes turned in her direction, the wand pointing toward her. "Avada…"_

"_No!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, "Voldemort, I command you to stop!"_

"_You command…you think to command the Lord of Death, the greatest sorcerer of all time?"_

"_I will not let you hurt her!" Harry shouted. The knowledge of the love he felt for Ginny and the need to protect her filled Harry's whole being. A powerful force swept through Harry's body and he cried out in agony. It seemed as though the very fabric of his soul were on fire. Voldemort's being was suddenly separated from his own. Harry threw all the magical energy at his disposal out at his enemy and the mental connection he had shared with the beast was suddenly severed._

Harry found himself lying in his bed, dripping in sweat, all his dorm mates standing over him, staring.


	12. The New DA

**Chapter Twelve: The New D.A.**

"Ron, where's Ginny? I need to see Ginny!" Harry croaked, and he realized his throat was parched and sore as though he'd been screaming for a while. The door to the dorm room opened and closed and Harry realized Neville was suddenly missing.

"Harry, you were glowing, all red, and then green, and then red again. It was weird," Ron told him.

"And you were talking in your sleep, too" Seamus added, as though this were far more strange than glowing red and green.

"What…what was I saying?" Harry took in the ashen faces and thought of his dream. He wondered if they had heard….

"You said…" Dean tried to explain.

"You commanded…" Seamus tried to help. And Harry thought he had a pretty good idea why they couldn't continue. He scrambled out of his bed and down the steps to the Common Room.

Neville stood at the bottom of the steps that led up to the girls' dorms, contemplating. He suddenly took out his wand, said "Wingardium Leviosa" and pointed it at himself. He then floated straight up the stairs and rapped on the dorm door.

"Neville, you're brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. He cast the same charm upon himself and joined Neville at the top of the stairs. The door opened and Lavender stood gaping at the two hovering boys.

"You boys aren't supposed to be up here," she said bossily.

"Just get Ginny, please," Neville said kindly, but firmly.

"No way, I will not be a party to your late night pranks. You can pull whatever this is on her in the morning," Lavender said, and she started to close the door.

"Lavender, go and get Ginny, it's important. This is no prank!" Harry commanded, and Lavender's eyes widened.

"Who do you think you are, Potter, telling me what to do in the middle of the night!"

"Harry?" Hermione came to the door, "What's going on?"

"Hermione, thank Merlin! Please, go and get Ginny. Wake her up. Make sure she's Ok." Harry spilled out. Hermione donned a motherly sort of worried look and went to fetch Ginny. She gasped slightly a moment later, and Harry could not contain himself a moment more. He rushed into the room and over to Hermione's side. Hermione stood over Ginny's sleeping form, trembling.

"She's so cold," Hermione said, "and she was glowing!"

"What color?" Harry asked.

"What?"

"What color glow, Hermione?" Harry said more desperately.

"Red," Hermione responded.

Harry sighed, relaxed a bit and bent over Ginny. He gently shook her and her eyes fluttered open, 'Are you all right?' he thought to her.

_I'm fine, whatever you did, you saved me. But I don't know about Percy._

'I hope he's ok, but thank Merlin you're all right. I'm so sorry.'

Hermione looked from Harry to Ginny who seemed to her to just be staring into one another's eyes. Harry noticed her doing this and broke out of the reverie and looked up at her. "Can you stay here with her?" Harry asked, "Just stay beside her?"

"Sure Harry," Hermione said, a hint of curiosity evident in her voice. She sat on Ginny's bed and looked again between her two friends. "What's going on with you guys? How did you know she was in any danger, and why did you ask me what color she was glowing?" Hermione's face held an expression that clearly said she already had some idea what the answer was to these questions.

"It was Voldemort. He invaded my dreams again. He tried…he…" but there seemed to be no way to explain what Voldemort had done without explaining how Ginny had been present in Harry's dream.

Harry looked to Ginny for help and she sighed. She took a deep breath, looked around the room at the many curious faces, and whispered quietly, "The bond." Hermione's eyes widened with recognition, but the others just looked confused. Harry smiled weakly at Hermione's shocked expression.

"I'd better get back to bed," Harry said awkwardly. He leaned down and planted a kiss on Ginny's forehead, smiled the same weak smile at Hermione again, and left the girls' dorm.

"What was that about, Harry?" Neville asked, who had not gone in but had waited at the door for Harry.

"It was just a nightmare. One that seemed all too real," Harry said, knowing it was at least half true.

"Most people don't glow red and green during a nightmare, Harry."

Harry looked warily at Neville and tried to pacify him, "They do when Voldemort tries to tell them something in their sleep."

Neville blanched and stepped away from Harry.

"It's all right, Neville. He's gone now." But Neville didn't seem convinced.

"I think you should tell the headmaster about this, Harry. There's more going on here than I think you even know. You should go to Dumbledore."

"Neville, I just want to go to bed," Harry said. But Neville had grabbed onto Harry's arm and was dragging him toward the portrait hole. Neville didn't let go of Harry's arm until they stood in front of the gargoyle statue. Harry didn't resist him. He figured Neville was probably right. But Harry was extremely nervous to tell Dumbledore about his connection with Ginny.

"Canary Creams," Harry said reluctantly, and the gargoyle statue sprang out of the way and the staircase began its revolving assent. Harry and Neville stepped onto the first step and rose to the top. Neville knocked loudly on the door, which immediately swung open to allow them entry. Dumbledore sat behind his desk looking tired and old. He was clad in his usual day-time garb and Harry wondered briefly if the old man ever slept anymore.

"Thank you for bringing him to me, Neville," the headmaster said, "You did exactly the right thing." Neville smiled and sat on a chintz armchair next to the desk. Harry sat in another, and looked up at Dumbledore warily.

"Harry," the professor began, "I believe this will be much simpler if we invite Ms. Weasley and Ms. Granger in as well." That said, the door swung open again revealing the two girls and Ron. "Ah, and Mr. Weasley, you too may join us." That twinkle was back in Dumbledore's eye, and Harry thought it made him seem much younger all of a sudden. The three other students stumbled into the office and Dumbledore drew up three more chairs for them.

"Now, Harry, Ginny, I think there is something you may first need to explain to us all."

"Uhm," Harry said, looking at Ginny for permission. She smiled and nodded, and then looked at her hands.

"Well, sir, it all started this summer at the house." Harry looked at Dumbledore, and he smiled at Harry. "Ginny heard something…something I didn't say out loud. And then…ever since…."

"I think it's the Ptolemy Bond, sir," Ginny said quietly, "But we don't really know for sure how we came to have the bond."

"Can you think of any reason at all?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well," Harry raised his eyes from the floor for a moment to respond, "there was the Chamber of Secrets, and then last spring, at the Department of Mysteries…"

"We all protected each other," Ginny finished for him. "It was a…uhm, a life…altering…experience."

"To say the least," Ron interjected there, starting to catch on to what was being said. "So then you two…"

"Yes," Harry said simply, and Ron seemed to be digesting that information rather badly as he leaned back in his chair and gulped audibly.

"It wasn't something we ever really chose," Ginny tried to explain, "It just happened."

"Harry," Dumbledore said, "How do you feel about this connection you two are sharing?"

"Feel? Well, I guess at first it sounded really fun. I mean, we could talk to each other from different classrooms and listen to one another's conversations with other people. But tonight…I was afraid…"

"What happened, Harry?" Dumbledore prompted him.

"We have been sharing a dream," Ginny answered for Harry. "It started almost the same way as it always does. But then it changed."

"Voldemort was there, and he had Percy locked in a dungeon," Harry continued the tale, "And Lucius Malfoy was there. I saw through his eyes, as before, until he turned his wand on Ginny. He was about to use the killing curse when…."

"Go on, Harry," Dumbledore encouraged, but Harry didn't know how to explain this last part. It was too new.

"I told him to stop."

"You commanded him to stop," Ginny corrected.

"And did he?" Dumbledore asked.

"He laughed and tried to do it anyway," Ginny went on, "and then Harry glowed all red, and then green, and then red again, and the red light came and seemed to swallow me up. The next thing I knew, Harry was waking me up and Hermione was standing over me and shaking all over. She said I was glowing too."

"Glowing Red?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered for them.

The room was very quiet for a while and Harry shifted nervously in his seat. Ginny reached over and took his hand in hers. Dumbledore took out one of his little silver instruments, pointed his wand at it and muttered something. The instrument glowed red and green and red, then formed a puff of red smoke tinged with gold sparks. As the sparks evaporated and the smoke dissipated, the five Gryffindor students looked around at each other in wonder. When Dumbledore finally spoke again, it was with a merrier voice than before.

"It seems," he paused and looked Harry in the eye, "that the two of you," his gaze shifted to Ginny, "have a very strong bond, the strongest I have seen in many years. The choice is up to you what to do with this bond. It can be broken, if you ever so desire it. But I daresay you most likely will find it comes in handy quite a lot of the time. Other than that, there is something else I think you should see, Harry." Dumbledore waved his wand in a peculiar fashion. A cloud-like substance swirled in the air before them all. The center of the cloud began to clear, revealing an image of some kind. As Harry looked closer, he could see the dungeon he had seen before. Lucius Malfoy bent over someone who lay on the floor. Harry squinted into the image nearly touching his nose to it, and saw long, white spindly fingers, still clutching a wand of yew, extending lifelessly from the sleeve of a black robe. The face was obscured, but Harry knew by the twinge in his scar who that was on the floor.

"Is he…is he dead?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Unfortunately, Harry, he is not. But I do not believe he will recover from this episode of mind games as easily as he has done before."

"Percy…" Harry looked quizzically up at the professor.

"It seems we have been mistaken about his allegiances. The order will do everything in their power to retrieve him from Malfoy Manor's dungeon. I am grateful to you, Harry, as I am sure Arthur and Molly will be when I inform them of this discovery. But there is one thing I must ask you to do for me."

Harry thought he knew what the headmaster was going to ask and beat him to the punch, "You want me to learn Occlumency."

"Yes, Harry. We wouldn't want to give Voldemort another chance to attack Ginny through you, would we?"

"Of course not. But will this interfere with the bond we have?"

"Only if you want it to, Harry. You will learn to allow access to one person without letting down your defenses to another. It's really quite simple. And, no, I will not assign Professor Snape to teach you this time."

Harry let out a sigh of relief that made Ginny giggle, and he turned and smiled at her.

"As for you three," Dumbledore said, looking at Ron, Hermione, and Neville in turn, "with the exception of Miss Lovegood, I would ask you to keep what you saw and heard tonight to yourselves. The six of you share another kind of bond that I do not believe you have fully realized yet. Nevertheless, I expect you to look out for one another. I am more grateful than any of you will ever know that Harry has such reliable and trustworthy friends as all of you."

"Sir, there were others who saw Harry glowing," Neville informed him, "What should we say to them?"

"Not to worry. Your classmates have become accustomed to Harry being a tad bit…different…in some respects. They will not be terribly concerned. But, mind that you do not tell them of the Ptolemy bond or Voldemort's momentary demise. They will not understand that."

All five students nodded, and stood to leave. Harry and Ginny lingered behind a moment. "Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, "how did you see into the dungeon just now? What was that cloud you produced?"

"It's called a vision catcher, Harry," Dumbledore responded, and his eyes twinkled merrily. "I use it most often to keep an eye on those wizards and witches who are most important to me."

"Can you see anything in it?"

"No, I cannot. If I could, it would be a great help to the order, but alas, I cannot. I can only see imprints of certain wizards and witches with whom I share a connection, or in this case, I used your connection to Voldemort to invoke the spell. Though it enabled us to see a small moment of the goings on in Malfoy Manor, were I to draw on that connection too frequently, not only would you be unable to study, but it would eventually tire you so greatly that you would remain very weak for a very long time."

"Oh," Harry said dejectedly. "All right then. Goodnight, sir."

"Good night, Harry."

"Harry," Ginny said as the two approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, "Do you think Vol…Vold…demort…could have actually hurt me through that dream?" She was biting her lip and looking at her shoes as they walked.

"I don't know, Ginny, but one thing is certain. I won't let him hurt you."

"How did you stop him?"

"I'm not sure," Harry looked into Ginny's face and opened his mind to her. She let him see how she felt, that she loved him, but she feared allowing Voldemort access to herself through her connection with Harry. She was unsure about the safety of their bond.

"Ginny, do you want to sever the bond? We could probably get it back again later with that ritual Hermione found."

"No, I don't want to…I mean, I really like having this bond. It's fun sometimes, and…"

"It keeps us close," Harry finished for her.

"Yes, I'm just scared."

"Dumbledore said that if I learn Occlumency properly I can keep Voldemort out while still sharing this bond with you. I promise; I'll master it. I won't let him hurt you."

"I believe you, Harry. It'll be all right."

"Are you two going to give the password or do I have to sit here and listen to this drivel all night?" the Fat Lady asked, peering angrily at the young couple.

"Flobberworm," Harry said, and the portrait swung open. Hermione, Ron, and Neville sat on the couches by the fire waiting for them to return.

"I think I've seen the headmaster's office enough times for one term," Harry said, and the others chuckled their agreement. The five friends sat in amiable silence for a few moments, and then discussed how to explain Harry's nightmare to the other students who had witnessed bits of it. It was decided that they would only say that Harry had had a nightmare involving Voldemort harming Ginny and had simply gotten worried about her. They would say that Neville had been overprotective to take him to Dumbledore, and that everything was otherwise normal. As for the glowing, it was just a part of Harry's dream coming out, like talking in one's sleep. Once they had their story straight, they all traipsed back to their beds for a few more hours of what they hoped would be restful sleep.

Sunday morning dawned bright and early and Harry and his friends were all a bit groggy as they arrived, quite late, to the Gryffindor house table for breakfast. Luna, having just finished her breakfast, sat down with them next to Neville. She donned the usual half moon earrings and butterbeer bottle cap necklace. They filled her in about the Ptolemy Bond and she took it all in as though it were old news.

"My parents shared a rather strong Ptolemy bond before my mother died. Actually, I think they still converse through it from time to time."

"No offense, Luna, but how can your father speak with your mother when she's dead? A Ptolemy bond should be severed when one of the bonded persons dies. It was in the book!"

Luna looked dreamily around at everyone but Hermione. She smiled sweetly to Neville as though they were sharing some deep secret that Hermione was not to be let in on. Hermione huffed and turned to Ron for support. He shrugged and looked alarmed that he should have to say anything on the subject.

"I wonder how Malfoy enjoyed his stay in the hospital wing," Harry said, changing the subject. He didn't want his friends to start fighting again, and he was feeling rather curious about what might have happened to Malfoy to land him in the condition in which they'd found him the previous afternoon.

"Who cares," Ron responded, "he's just a slimy git. I'm sure he's fine."

"Who was the girl whose reputation you were concerned about?" Hermione asked. Harry looked up and down the Gryffindor table before responding. It was mostly deserted, and those still there were far enough away not to hear him.

"Parvati Patil," he whispered, "Malfoy said he'd been talking to her by the lake when his dad came and took her and did that to him."

"His father did that to him? Well, I might have known. Dad has always said Lucius Malfoy was scum. I just wouldn't have expected him to treat his own son and heir like that." Ron said.

"I know. Something is up with Malfoy. First he's depressed because he found out his dad really is a Death Eater – I mean, I would have thought he'd be overjoyed to find that out," Ginny pointed out.

"And then he messed up in Potions class badly enough to make Snape pay attention to it," Harry continued.

"Yeah, and then he didn't show up for Gryffindor's tryouts," Ron supplied.

"And he shows up all battered in a deserted corridor," Hermione mused.

"And then he says he was with Pavarti when his dad showed up and hit him?" Neville asked quietly.

"What happened to Parvati?" asked Luna.

"Dumbledore went and got her, brought her back to the hospital wing. I can only assume she was at Malfoy Manor, since Malfoy said his dad took her," Harry told them.

"Wow," Hermione muttered.

"No way," Ron shook his head.

"I think we should go and see how they're doing," Luna offered. "They might enjoy a bit of company."

"Luna," Neville addressed her sternly, "this is Malfoy we're talking about!"

"It's not the same Malfoy," Luna replied simply.

"Looks like the same one to me," Ron said agitatedly.

"No, no he's different now. He's changing," Luna argued.

"I think Luna's right," Ginny defended her, "The Malfoy we know would have been at our quidditch tryouts no matter what the circumstances. He would never have been seen talking to a Gryffindor by the lake, and he certainly would not have told Dumbledore where to find that same Gryffindor knowing it would reveal his father's escape from Azkaban. We don't have to go in or talk to him, but I think we should go up to the hospital wing just to see if he and Parvati are ok. We could say we came to visit Parvati if we do go in."

"I'm going up there," Harry decided. "Who wants to go with me?" Everyone but Ron agreed to come, and Ron grumbled and followed just the same. At the doors of the hospital wing they could see that the curtains were pulled around the two beds where Malfoy and Parvati had been placed the day before. They went in cautiously and asked Madame Pomfrey for permission to visit with Parvati briefly. Permission was granted on the condition that they would stay only a few minutes. They made their way quietly over to Parvati's bed and Ginny peaked in.

"Parvati," she whispered, "we've come to see if you're OK. Can we come in?"

"Who's with you?" Parvati said in a quiet voice, and she sat up and pushed aside the hangings to see for herself. "Oh, hi all."

"Hey," they said back and everyone was awkwardly silent for a moment. "So, are you OK?" Hermione finally asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. He just stunned me and took me somewhere. Dumbledore said he found me at Malfoy Manor. I suppose you all know as much about it as I do."

"Well, we know that Lucius Malfoy abducted you," Hermione explained, "but we don't know a whole lot. Do you mind if we ask about Draco?" Hermione looked a bit worried as she bit her lip and waited for Parvati to respond.

Parvati mimicked Hermione's lip-biting expression and looked at Harry and Ron before speaking again. "Now, don't get all mad or anything," she warned. "Actually, Draco and I are sort of, well…we're friends at least. We were just talking, and Mr. Malfoy came walking up to us all of a sudden. He stunned me and took me away. That's all I know. I guess he did something to Draco, too, since he's over there right now," she pointed her thumb toward the curtained bed to her right.

"Yeah, he did a right number on him," Ron told her. But Hermione's stern look kept him from saying more.

"I hope he's OK," Parvati said, throwing a worried look at the bed hangings.

"He'll be back to insulting the Gryffindor quidditch team by tomorrow, I'm sure," Harry comforted her with a wry smile. Parvati returned the grin and looked relieved.

"He hasn't said anything, then, since last night?" Ginny asked.

"No, they gave him a dreamless sleep potion and he's been out since. It's good of you guys to come down. I know you've never been on the best of terms with him, and I was kind of worried no one in Gryffindor house would be able to accept that I've made friends with him. I hope you won't hold this against him. It really wasn't his fault."

"We were the ones who found him," Harry informed her. "He's been acting oddly since term began. Maybe you're having a positive effect on him."

She giggled and replied, "He was never all that bad. He just doesn't like you three. You're always in the spotlight, and don't tell him I said this, but I think he's just always been jealous of you."

"Well, whatever his reasons, it doesn't matter. He'll probably always hate us, and I can't promise we'll ever attempt friendship with him, either, but he did what he could to help Dumbledore bring you back here, and that says something about his character," Hermione said thoughtfully. "We'll just have to see what happens next."

"Yeah, but really, Parvati, be careful around him," Neville warned. "I'm not sure he's made up his mind whose side he's on."

Parvati seemed to understand Neville's meaning and nodded her response. They bid her farewell when Madame Pomfrey came over to check on her patients. They went out to enjoy the last of September's warm and sunny weather. They visited with Hagrid, had tea and avoided the biscuits, then returned to the Great Hall for Lunch. Thoughts of Malfoy and Parvati were soon pushed to the backs of their minds.

The days seemed to pass more quickly than ever, and the first Hogsmeade weekend was only a few days away. Harry posted the notices with Hermione's enchantment upon them in each common room and asked Hermione to make some extra fake galleons for any new recruits that might show up. He had abandoned the idea of using the Sorting Hat to decide each member's skill level in favor of a more entertaining method. He showed his skill testing plan to Tonks and got her approval. She agreed to be in attendance and to set up the necessary arrangements. Harry hoped there would be a good turn out. The morning of the first Hogsmeade weekend arrived crisp and cool in the October sun. Clouds were just beginning to show on the horizon, and Harry hoped it would not rain before the meeting was over, as they were planning to hold it in front of the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Neville came down to breakfast together and met Luna there in the Great Hall. They ate quietly and stood in line to depart for the nearby village. Hermione clutched a basket of new galleons and Harry had stuffed a parchment and quill in his pocket for writing down the names of the new members. They arrived in Hogsmeade and split up to do their various shopping, meeting up at the Three Broomsticks when it was time to head for the Shrieking Shack.

"So, what'd you get?" Ginny asked Hermione as they walked up the lane.

"Oh, a new book, some quills and parchment…" Hermione replied.

"What's the book?" Harry asked.

"Oh, it's a treatise on the Goblin Wars of the second era. I've been studying up on that subject. Did you know the Goblins tried to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the standoff before declaring outright war? They really had no desire to fight, but like the house elves, they had no rights of their own. They…"

"Hermione, we get enough of that in Binns' class," Ron cut her off. "Can we just enjoy the day and save studying for Monday, please?"

"Ron, this is really interesting information. It could really apply to the war with Voldemort. It could help people see the importance of granting equal rights to all magical creatures!"

"Hermione, please," Ron said irritably and Harry could see another row starting. He quickly thought of something to distract them.

"Look, some people are already up there waiting for us. I think that's Dean and Seamus talking to Tonks up there, and some Hufflepuff girls as well." Harry pointed in the direction of the shack.

"Yeah, and there are a lot of others following behind us," Ginny informed them glancing over her shoulder. Sure enough, a long line of students from all four houses seemed to be forming. Students were pouring out of every shop, filtering into the queue two or three at a time. Harry guessed there were at least fifty people following them up the hill. Lavender, Parvati and Padma were among the first in line behind Harry and his friends. He also noticed Katie Bell and the rest of the Gryffindor team, the Creevey brothers, Ernie, Justin, and Hannah from Hufflepuff, with Hannah's sister, Madeline following closely behind. A few other Ravenclaw first years were walking with Madeline. Cho and her friends, even Marietta, were also in the group. Harry noted that all of last year's D.A. members who had not graduated were coming, along with a lot of others, most of whose names he did not know.

"Welcome to Dumbledore's Army," Harry called as they all assembled before him. Some smiled, others clapped and cheered. Most of the returning members nodded and a few waved cheerfully to each other. Harry grinned. This was going to be better than he had hoped.

"I have been asked to reform this group and to include in it all students who have an interest in learning to defend themselves and their friends and families from Voldemort and his Death Eaters." A shiver circulated the group at the mention of the Dark Lord, and Harry frowned.

"The first thing we are all going to do is to say his name aloud without concern for the effect! Voldemort is nothing more than a bully. He is the self proclaimed master of evil, and has effectively removed all humanity from his being. He is a monster and a terror, but he is still just a man. He was once known as Tom Riddle, a student of Hogwarts, and the heir of Slytherin. It was he who opened the Chamber of Secrets four years ago and petrified our friends; it was he who has burned and destroyed the homes and families of many of you here seventeen years ago. It was he who gave me most of the scars I now carry, like this one," Harry pointed to his forehead, "and this other," he pulled back his sleeve to show them the scar on his arm. Their eyes followed his motions with rapt attention. Harry continued his speech in a purposeful voice, "Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, can and has been thwarted, and in the end, he will be defeated. His greatest power is fear. If we cease to fear him, we have wielded our greatest weapon against him. So say it. All together now, repeat after me: Lord Voldemort is a smelly pig whose real name is Tom Riddle."

Some people sniggered, some coughed nervously, but no one spoke. Harry looked to his friends and they nodded. The six of them repeated Harry's phrase in unison, "Lord Voldemort is a smelly pig whose real name is Tom Riddle!"

"Everyone now," Harry cried fervently, and most of the students joined him in shouting, "Lord Voldemort is a smelly pig whose real name is Tom Riddle!"

"That was better," Harry commended them. "Try this one: Tom Riddle, alias Voldemort has the brain of a troll and the face of a hag!" They all laughed, and this time everyone joined in to repeat the insult. Harry smiled and nodded.

"Great! Now, there are several of you who are returning from last year's group, and some who are new. Each of you comes with your own story to tell about how Voldemort and his minions have affected your lives. Each of you has a combination of desire and skill to help you in the effort to destroy him. I need to know how I can help you and what you can already do. So, I've had Professor Tonks set up a little obstacle course inside the Shrieking Shack." There was a murmur at the mention of the "haunted" building, but Harry just chuckled to himself and led the group up the hill to the front door of the Shack. "Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna will be inside acting the part of the attackers. You have to follow the arrows through the house and come back out the back door. I assure you, there is nothing in there, aside from my five friends here, that will do anything at all to you. Whatever spells you are hit with by one of these guys will be reversed as soon as you exit the building. Please line up single file to begin the course."

The students formed a long line, Harry's friends entered the house, and Harry stood at the door to usher people in. He asked Tonks to wait at the back door. He sent the students in one by one, and the testing began. He could hear the shouts, thuds and muffled screams of a few who were caught off guard by a stunner, a bat bogey hex or a Petrificus Totalis spell. He could see most of the action from the front window and watched patiently, laughing from time to time when one of the students caught one of his friends unawares. By the time the afternoon waxed toward evening, all of the students had emerged from the back of the building in varying conditions. He joined Tonks and his friends behind the shack to close the meeting.

"I hope you all enjoyed that," Harry said, a devilish grin spreading across his face. A few of those who had done poorly shot him grumpy scowls, but most of them laughed or just waited for him to continue.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Harry asked.

"What makes you think Voldemort can really be defeated?" asked a fifth year Slytherin.

"What makes you think he can't?" Harry replied, focusing on the boy.

"He has quite a track record for winning," the other responded.

"Actually, as far as his efforts to get rid of me," Harry said ruefully, "he seems to be on quite a losing streak. He has attempted to kill me five times to date, and I still manage to be alive."

"Yes," said a third year Hufflepuff, "but you're the boy-who-lived. You're the only one who has ever survived a direct attack!"

"I am not the only one," Harry countered. "Professor Dumbledore has dueled with him and won, my own parents defied him, as did Neville's, three times before he could bring them down. There are a lot of wizards and witches who have fought against him both seventeen years ago, and just recently, who have lived to tell the tale. I swear to you all, before this war is over, Tom Riddle will be defeated, one way or another!"

Bolstered by Harry's promise, many gazed proudly at Harry. Others gaped at his seemingly brash promise. Some looked understandably doubtful.

"Whatever the power and threat Voldemort presents to the wizarding world," Harry went on, "We will be far more likely to come out on top if we believe in our cause, our ability to win, and train with the attitude that says we intend to do so. If you do not think Voldemort can be defeated, there is no point in your being here. If you can put your faith in the promise I gave you then sign your name to this parchment, pick up a galleon from Hermione, and I'll see you at the next D.A. meeting."

The students filed forward and every one of them signed and the new members took a galleon. Each galleon was attached to a slip of parchment giving directions on how to use it. They shuffled away in groups similar to the ones they had come in, and soon Harry, Tonks, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna stood alone in the waning sunlight. Tonks was the first to break the silence.

"Well, Harry, that was quite the speech."

"Yeah, I think you might have made quite an impression, especially on that one Slytherin!" Ron agreed.

"I only hope it's enough," Harry replied, still looking out at the horizon and the shrinking forms of the new and returning D.A. members.

"I suppose we'd best pack it in then, dinner will be waiting for us back at Hogwarts," Tonks pointed out. The seven of them went into the shack, pulled down the signs and righted the bits of furniture that had been overturned. They gathered at the back of the Shrieking Shack and headed back to the castle, weary and hungry, but mutually satisfied by the day's events.

"So," Ron opened the conversation as they sat in the Gryffindor Common room after dinner. Luna had joined them for the moment and sat to the right of Neville on the comfy sofa. Harry and Ginny shared the chair to the left of the sofa, and Hermione sat on the one to the right, Ron at her feet, enjoying a neck and shoulder massage. After a hearty groan of encouragement directed toward Hermione's hands, he continued, "What do you think the old Snake is up to now?" Ron had taken to calling Voldemort "the old Snake" over dinner since he was still a little shy of using the proper name, and Harry decided not to make an issue of it yet. It was after all an improvement over "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" and Harry would take what he could get.

"I know he's trying to do something with Percy, trying to force him to join the Death Eaters. There was something in that vision about wanting to put him in place as the next Minister of Magic, under Voldemort's control of course." Harry watched the others' reactions to this and frowned.

"It sounds like just the kind of thing Percy would fall for, though, doesn't it?" Ron said dully.

"I don't think he will though," Harry replied, "At least, in the vision he was ready to die rather than give in to Voldemort's demands."

"What if Voldemort was just sending you another fake vision, Harry?" Ron asked, tempting Harry's temper with his need to be sure of his brother's loyalties.

"I suppose it's possible. We'll see soon enough, though, won't we? The Order is trying to get him out of there. If he has actually joined the other side, we'll know! He'll have the mark, won't he?" Harry donned a confident look.

"Yeah, that's true. I just hope, that is if Percy has gone to the other side, that no one in the Order gets hurt trying to rescue him," Ginny joined the banter. Hermione nodded her agreement, but continued silently with the massage.

"Perhaps your brother has been affected by Voldemort's AutraPersona potion," Luna suggested.

"His what potion?" Ron asked in annoyance.

"AutraPersona Potion," Luna repeated, "It makes the drinker take on an alternate personality, often bringing out all their basest and most vile traits."

"If there is such a potion, I'd bet Riddle has had regular doses of it," Ginny offered in truce-like fashion.

"No kidding," Neville added. "Perhaps there is a potion that brings out all of one's positive traits, we could force feed it to him and he'd melt into a pile of dragon dung because he hasn't got any good traits."

Harry chuckled, but after a moment said thoughtfully, "That's what we call Love, Neville. It works both ways. It makes us the best and the worst we can be. Jealous love makes us crazy and we do things that make no sense!" Hermione chuckled a little, and Harry smiled in Ron's direction before going on. "The lack of it destroys the soul. That's what happened that made Tom Riddle into Voldemort in the first place. He had no love for anyone, and no one had ever loved him. And Dumbledore said it was my mother's love that saved me from his first attack on me when I was a baby."

"And loving my parents is what keeps me going to Snape's potion class every day," Neville included. "Someday I'll be the healer that finds a way to cure them."


	13. Traitor or Betrayed

**Chapter Thirteen: Traitor or Betrayed**

The morning of the first quidditch match found Harry feeling nervous, but not for himself. He was wondering how Ron and Ginny were going to perform in front of a crowd, and he was concerned for the other three new players. He had never played on a team with so many new people on it, and he was not sure how this was going to pan out. One thing he was sure of, though, was that the quicker he could catch the snitch, the less he'd have to worry about his teammates. He stole another glance at Malfoy and his Slytherin team across the Great Hall, who as usual were smiling, laughing and throwing taunts toward the Gryffindor table. Malfoy smiled and nodded now and then at his teammates, but the odd thing was that he was otherwise silent. He seemed preoccupied somehow, as though the whole of his strength were necessary to just keep himself at the table. His breakfast sat untouched in front of him, and his eyes darted back and forth between the back of Parvati's head and his own pale hands that were folded in his lap. Once Malfoy looked up and caught Harry's stare, and returned it with a sneer, and Harry had actually felt a measure of relief then, having retrieved a sense of normalcy from that sneer. But the next time Harry looked over, Malfoy had returned to staring at the back of Parvati's head. It had been several weeks since the abduction incident, and no one knew but Harry and his friends and Parvati and Malfoy. True to their word, they had not breathed a word of it to a single soul, mostly out of respect for Parvati. Parvati's friends thought she had been unfortunate enough to come down with a bout of the stomach flu on the same day as Draco Malfoy and had for a week or so commiserated such a dreadful fate with her. But Harry had noticed the slight hesitation, the refusal to say anything malicious about Malfoy, and he wondered how Parvati really felt about the whole thing.

A blanket of quiet settled over the room, jarring Harry out of his thoughts, and his eyes away from Malfoy. The Slytherin team had begun standing and Malfoy had not risen with them. Adrian Pucey was standing with his arms crossed in front of himself, one toe tapping the floor in a very Hermione-like fashion.

"Is our captain going to join us on the pitch, or is he too busy studying the table to play quidditch today?" Pucey spat venomously.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist," Malfoy responded, almost automatically. "I'm coming. I just haven't finished eating yet."

Pucey pursed his lips and made a disbelieving sound, but said no more as Malfoy took a single bite, declared himself full, smacked his stomach once, and then left with the rest of the team. Harry turned to Ginny and Ron who were sitting to his right, and gave them a questioning look. Ron, who had watched the whole last bit of Malfoy's act, along with the rest of the school, just shrugged his shoulders and turned back to his own breakfast.

"Don't you think it was odd, though?" Harry asked Ron as the Gryffindor team made their way toward the pitch just minutes after the Slytherins had gone. "I mean, he was acting strangely all through breakfast."

"He's probably just nervous like anyone else before a big game. He's noticed our new team and he's not sure if he can win against us," Ron replied, but Harry didn't buy it.

"He's never thought he wouldn't win, ever, in all the years we've known him. Whatever the contest, he always comes into it believing he'll come out on top."

"Maybe we've just skunked him enough times to make him change his mind," Ron said as they entered the Gryffindor locker room. Harry was still skeptical, but he allowed the subject to drop as Ron was obviously gearing up for the pre-game speech. He sat on the benches with the rest of the team and looked up at Ron's towering form.

"All right everyone. I think we've got this game in the bag!" Ron shouted, and the team cheered. "The Slytherin team won't know what hit them. They're already scared of us, and we'll make them sure to stay that way! Euan, Ginny, and Katie, we're counting on you to score as much as you can and get us the early lead in points. Harry, catch that snitch in record time. As for you two," Ron indicated Dearborn and Portman, "just do as you did in practice. Let's get out there!"

The team cheered again, stood, and walked out toward the pitch. Harry was worried that Ron was a little over confident, but he thought it was at least better than last year when Ron's lack of confidence kept him from performing. They walked out onto the pitch to the deafening roar from the stands and the captains shook hands. Brooms were mounted and the quaffle, bludgers, and snitch released. Harry realized that he did not recognize the commentator's voice. Lee Jordan had graduated last year. Harry looked toward the announcer's box and saw a young Ravenclaw boy. He recognized his face from the first D.A. meeting at the Shrieking Shack, but couldn't recall his name. He saw the boy's lips begin to move and a booming sound began calling out the moves of the players.

"…And it's Pucey with the quaffle, he's charging toward the goal posts, but here comes Weasley. She steals the quaffle and tosses to Abercrombie. Look at his speed, that's amazing…"

Harry tuned out the announcer and scanned the pitch for the golden flutter he hoped to see. It seemed for a moment as though the tiny ball had left the stadium, though Harry knew this couldn't be the case. There was just no sign of it anywhere. A bludger whizzed past Harry's head and Harry turned to see Crabbe smiling wickedly at him. Another Bludger came from the other side and barely missed Harry's leg. Harry shook his head and laughed at the miserable aim of Crabbe and Goyle and ducked down to get up some speed. He circled the pitch a few times, and then noticed Malfoy tailing him observantly. He dove suddenly and Malfoy followed. Harry pulled gracefully out of the dive just inches from the ground, but Malfoy wasn't so lucky.

"OH! And a brilliant Wronski feint by Potter. And here comes Weasley again, quaffle in hand, Pucey tries to block her but she ducks under him. She drops the quaffle, but Abercrombie is just below her. He shoots, he scores! And it's forty to ten for Gryffindor!" The stands erupted in cheers on the Gryffindor end, boos and hisses from the Slytherins.

And then it happened. A stray bludger, sent in the wrong direction by Goyle, was heading toward the Gryffindor stands. There was nothing in its path to stop it, and it didn't seem to want to change its direction. It was headed into the stands, sure to collide with a spectator's head. Malfoy was speeding in the direction of the bludger, and at first, Harry thought he had seen the snitch and not seen the bludger. Harry peered in the direction Malfoy was moving and began to go the same way, but the snitch was not there. The bludger had nearly reached the stands, and Malfoy had nearly reached the bludger.

_WHAM!_

The bludger hit Malfoy square in the side and nearly knocked him from his broom. Parvati, who Harry now noticed had been directly in the line of fire, was screaming, "Somebody help him!" Harry heard Madame Hooch's whistle and the game paused while she tended to Malfoy. His right arm hung at an odd angle at his side, and he was wincing as he clutched tightly to his broom with his left. Harry saw him shake his head no, and assumed it meant he did not want to be taken out of the game. Madame Hooch's whistle signaled for the game to recommence and Harry took off in search of the snitch once more. He felt bad for Malfoy's apparent accident, but he still intended to win. Malfoy had used the sympathy tactic before.

Finally the snitch showed itself skimming under Ginny's right foot. Harry threw her a message with his mind and she looked down just in time to see Harry, closely followed by Malfoy, streaking by directly beneath her. Harry closed his left hand around the snitch and pulled up on his broom. He hovered right next to Ginny and she smiled broadly at him. The stands erupted in cheers and applause, and Harry barely noticed the dejected form of Malfoy slumping off toward the changing rooms before the rest of his team had even landed. Harry felt a twinge of guilt, but the pats on the back from his teammates and the roaring approval from the spectators soon caused him to forget his opponent's behavior, and he followed his team happily back to the Gryffindor changing rooms.

The party in the Gryffindor Common Room lasted until two in the morning. The newest team members were given ample praise, and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. At one point though, Harry noticed Parvati speaking in hushed whispers to Lavender, and then saw them leave together and return again half an hour later. Parvati seemed very upset about something, and Lavender looked bewildered and concerned. Harry watched the two girls climb the steps to the dormitories, and wondered what could be bothering them. He thought it probably had something to do with Malfoy. He determined to ask Parvati about it some time, and turned back to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny who were laughing and joking about the "dropped" quaffle that had fooled the Slytherin Keeper into letting Euan score.

Time flew by, and before anyone knew it, November had come and gone and Christmas was approaching. Harry and his friends were planning to spend Christmas at Grimmauld Place. Hermione's parents were still living there, and Harry had surmised by now that the Order was trying to protect them. Harry realized gloomily that it was indeed wise for the Order to protect the families of his two best friends, as Voldemort would undoubtedly seek his vengeance against him on them if he could. He wondered if the attack in London had not been as random as the Daily Prophet had assumed, and if the Order had known something about it in advance and had invited the Grangers to stay for that purpose. Still no word came about their efforts to rescue Percy, and having not dreamt about it in ages, Harry wondered what had happened to his best mate's prudish brother.

Harry's assistant teaching assignment was coming along smoothly. He had been enjoying it more and more as the days wore on. He even found himself gleefully assigning homework to his groaning students to be done over the holidays. D.A. meetings were being held in three classrooms on the third floor, near the corridor where he and his friends had first met Fluffy in his first year, and memories of Quirrell with Voldemort's face poking out of the back of his head helped spur Harry to push the members to train well. The advanced group that he and Hermione were leading was doing very well. Ginny and Ron's mid-level group was excelling enough that they kept transferring members into Harry and Hermione's group. And Neville and Luna seemed the perfect pair leading the beginners. They too had members advancing into higher level groups, and new members showed up on a regular basis, approaching Harry or one of his friends in the halls or at meal times to ask for a galleon and a room number. The group had grown to nearly a hundred members, now, and Harry was astounded that it just kept growing. He would have to ask Dumbledore for more rooms soon. The most amazing thing to Harry was that there was an even split of students from all four houses in attendance at D.A. meetings, indicating that there were just as many Slytherins as any other house who genuinely wanted to protect themselves and their loved ones from Voldemort.

The day before the train was to depart from Hogsmeade to Kings Cross Station, Harry, Ron and Neville were in their dorm room packing and discussing the latest events.

"This potions essay is going to give me fits," Neville complained. "I don't know if I'm going to make it in that class."

"Well, you did great on the Polyjuice Potion," Harry reminded him, "and the unit on the uses of Bezoars as well. Don't give up too fast."

"I only did well on the Polyjuice because you three already knew how to make it. Don't think I'm not grateful. I just wonder if I'll choke when it comes time for exams at the end of the year."

"You'll do fine, Neville," Ron encouraged. "You get better at it all the time."

Neville sighed, and Harry felt it was time for a change of subject. "You know, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff play each other just after we all get back. If Ravenclaw wins, and we're sure to beat Ravenclaw, we'll be in the runnings for the quidditch house cup again."

"Too right!" Ron exclaimed enthusiastically. "Slytherin was like a house full of apes in that game against us. You would think it was Malfoy's first time on a broom, running right into that bludger like that! When will he learn to pay attention to what he's doing instead of just watching Harry for a sign of the snitch?"

"You know," said Neville thoughtfully, "Parvati was sure upset about his injuries. She seemed to think it was her fault somehow."

"Her fault?" Ron asked incredulously. "She wasn't even playing in the game. How could she think it was her fault?"

"She said that Goyle sent that bludger toward her on purpose, and Malfoy got in the way so that it wouldn't hit her," Neville explained. "She was all worried about Malfoy, hoping he was OK, and she said something about his Dad getting angry. I don't know what that was about, but I think Malfoy really has a thing for Parvati!"

"That would be the day, wouldn't it, Neville? Malfoy having a thing for a Gryffindor?!" Ron laughed.

"No kidding! Just knowing they're friends with each other is weird enough." Neville agreed. "So what are you all doing for the Holiday?"

"Oh, we're going to spend it with Ron's family," Harry said. "Hermione and her parents are coming as well. What about you?"

Neville blushed, smiled, and then blushed deeper. "Gran gave me permission to go to the Lovegoods for the whole holiday. I have to go with her to see my folks at St. Mungo's, and I'm supposed to bring Luna with me to introduce her to them. I'd have wanted to do that anyway. I just wish Gran didn't have to come along."

Harry and Ron chuckled at the memory of Neville's grandmother. They all finished their packing and went down to the Great Hall for dinner. The school was decorated in dream-like fashion. Garlands, streamers, fairy lights, and ornaments of all shapes and sizes hung from every corridor and in every classroom. Even Filch's office had a small tree sitting on the desk, and Snape had allowed the Slytherin house students to decorate his room with a few neatly placed candles, giving the dungeon classroom an almost eerie glow. Down in the Great Hall, the students were milling about, some humming carols as they passed, others chatting merrily about heading home in the morning. A few who would be staying at the castle over the two week break were lined up to sign their names to the clipboard that hung near the teacher's table. Harry noticed Parvati and Padma Patil standing in line, and Malfoy had just signed and was returning to his seat at the Slytherin table. Harry wondered what would keep Malfoy from going to Christmas with his family. He wondered if it had anything to do with Parvati. But he turned his attention away when Ginny ran up to him, planted a kiss on his cheek, and threw her arms around his neck.

"What was that for?" Harry asked.

"Do I need a reason?" Ginny laughed. Harry smiled and brushed her lips gently with his own, but the sparks that flew even from that little bit of physical contact caused him to pull back, blushing, and settle for holding her hand. They proceeded toward the Gryffindor table and enjoyed a wonderful feast before heading back to their Common Room for the night. Neville stayed behind to sit with Luna in the Great Hall. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione found their favorite spots by the Gryffindor fireplace, and sat in comfortable silence, staring at the fire. Ginny snuggled closer to Harry and began a silent conversation with him.

_How do you think Mum's going to take it when she notices us together? She's going to figure it out sooner or later._

'I'm sure she will. Perhaps it's best to tell her right off. We don't want her thinking we're keeping something from her.'

_I suppose you're right. Should we tell her about the bond? Only, I think she'll freak out about that. She'll think we've been doing stuff we shouldn't be._

Harry blushed in spite of himself and looked anxiously over at Ron and Hermione to see if they had noticed anything. They were too wrapped up in each other, though, to have seen anything, so he turned his attention back to Ginny and thought, 'We better not tell her then. Imagine what your brothers would do to me if they caught wind that your mum thought I was…well, you know what I mean.'

Ginny giggled, and this time Ron did look over at them. "Oi, hands up where I can see them, please," he called. Harry rolled his eyes and showed Ron his guiltless hands, and Ginny scowled at her brother.

"You keep your mind on how you're going to explain to mum where your hands have been lately!" Ginny hissed quietly, and Ron turned a deeper scarlet than Harry had ever seen him go.

Ron cast an accusing look at Hermione, who quickly returned with a scandalized, "What?"

'What have they been up to, Gin?' Harry asked her through the mind link.

_Trust me, you don't want to know!_

Harry turned a sickly green at the thought of what that might mean, and Ginny, still listening to his thoughts said, _No, nothing that bad. But really, don't ask._

It was just as Harry and his friends were finishing their dinner that Harry's interest in Filch was again kindled. Luna was just sauntering over to sit beside Neville for a few minutes when Harry could no longer contain his curiosity.

"No Mrs. Norris again," he said as he glanced toward the double doors of the Great Hall. Filch stood to the side a few meters and seemed uncharacteristically nervous to Harry. "He normally stands stalk still, barely blinking," Harry pointed out to the others. "But now he's shifting from side to side, twitching, wringing his hands, and glancing at the doors every few minutes."

"He keeps rubbing his right thumb and forefinger together as though itching to pull a wand," Hermione observed.

"But, Harry, didn't we find out he's a squib when we got caught flying Dad's car second year?" Ron reminded.

"Yes, so why would a squib itch for a wand?" Harry agreed.

"Maybe he's taken up smoking muggle cigarettes," Luna chimed in from beside Neville.

"I doubt he even knows what they are," Hermione shook her head to emphasize her response.

"What are they?" Neville asked.

"A substance more addicting than sugar quills," Hermione explained, "and far more disgusting. We'd be able to smell it on him if he was doing that!"

"What are you cooking up in that head of yours?" Ginny asked Harry pointedly. She could feel the stir in his thoughts even without focusing on them. More so, he had that gleam in his eye he always got when he was planning something.

"I think we should find out what's going on with Mr. Filch," Harry said.

Ten minutes later all six students were quietly and cautiously following a now almost panicky Filch. The caretaker wrung his hands again in a manner that reminded Harry of someone, though he could not place who. When Filch led them to his own office, Ron spoke for most of the others when he said, "Well, looks like he's not going anywhere special."

"Wait," Harry commanded, "let's see if he comes out again." Sure enough, a few anxiously long minutes later, Filch exited the office, patted his left robe pocket contentedly and moved swiftly toward a staircase at the end of the corridor. Two things were immediately apparent to Harry. Filch was far more agile than Harry ever remembered the crotchety old man being, and the staircase was the one that led directly to the corridor that housed Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Ron obviously noticed some of this too. "Maybe," Ron said slowly, "maybe Mrs. Norris died or something – No, wait for it," he added at the sight of their skeptical faces. "Maybe she died and he's gone to memorialize the place where she was petrified. Maybe he's setting up a shrine or something."

"Well, it's a possibility," Hermione said kindly, and Ron glowed a bit. "I mean, he could have put flowers or a greeting card or a picture in his pocket, and it would explain the distracted behavior and the missing cat."

"There's only one way to find out," Harry said nodding toward the staircase. They ascended the steps silently and Harry quickly caught site of the caretaker as he rounded the bend in the corridor. If Ron was correct, Filch would likely stop just outside Myrtle's door and leave some memento. But when Harry peered around the bend, he saw that Filch never even paused or spared a glance toward the wall where the threatening messages had been written and Mrs. Norris had been found hanging from her tail in 1992. He instead pushed open Myrtle's door, stepped quietly inside, and glanced back over his shoulder as though checking for something before he closed the bathroom door behind him.

"What now?" Neville asked. Harry looked at Luna.

"Do you know a way we can see inside there without going in or being seen in any way ourselves?" he asked her.

"Hmm," Luna seemed to contemplate a long time. "We could use your cloak," she finally suggested.

"By the time we got it and came back, Filch could have finished his business here and left," Ron reproved her.

"Well…there's the window from the outside," she said serenely.

"Again, it would take too long to get brooms and fly up to the window. And Hermione doesn't fly," Harry said impatiently. He knew from something he had found in Ginny's memories that Luna was trying not to reveal something to the others. "Luna please," Harry encouraged her, "I know you can do this, and no one is going to think less of you for it. You're not a fraud."

Luna looked from Harry to Ginny and back to Harry again. She frowned but finally relented. "All right, but you all have to swear not to tell anyone I can do this."

They all swore a solemn pledge, and Luna pulled the wand from behind her ear. Neville watched his girlfriend anxiously, and Harry suddenly realized she had not even told him yet. He was feeling a little guilty for pushing her to share her secret like this, until he was distracted by the crystal ball she had just produced, as though from thin air. Her left hand was held at an odd angle over the ball while her right was pointed at Myrtle's bathroom door. The five Gryffindors stepped closer to look into the Ball.

An image of Filch showed in the crystal ball. He was pulling a wand out of his left pocket. He began to speak. Harry was not the only one who noticed he was standing between Myrtle's toilet and the sink that had never worked, the one Harry knew bore the crudely carved replica of a snake. Neville and Hermione gasped, but Ginny, Harry, and Ron were not at all surprised when the sink suddenly sank into the floor revealing an open tunnel below. Harry and Ron exchanged a knowing look.

"Should we follow him down, or go notify Dumbledore?" Ron asked, suddenly understanding the gravity of the situation. Harry knew Ron was thinking along the same lines as him: If this Filch was no squib, could speak parseltongue, and knew where to find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, then where was the real Filch, and how did this imposter get a lock of his hair?

"I can't think of anything more foolish than following him down that hole," Hermione complained as she took in the mischievous looks on her two best friends faces. Ron and Harry had locked gazes, and Ron smiled a crooked sort of smile.

"Hermione, if we take the time to go get a teacher, we could miss finding out what he's up to," Harry said. "He could be gone by the time we can convince someone to come down here. We have to find out what he's doing down in the Chamber of Secrets."

"Let's go," Harry said determinedly. "You all don't have to come along. In fact, someone should stay here to keep a look out, and someone else should be prepared to inform a teacher if we don't come back in twenty minutes or so."

"Luna and I will stay here," Neville said, "We can watch you in the crystal ball. If anything happens, we'll go to Dumbledore straight away."

"Sounds good to me," Ron agreed.

"Why can't we watch the Filch imposter through the crystal?" Hermione asked wisely. "That would be a lot safer."

"I won't be able to see any of you once you enter the Chamber," Luna informed her. "I tried in my first year when people were getting petrified. I tried to find the Chamber using the crystal. But I couldn't reach that far. My ability may have increased some since then, but I can't guarantee it."

Hermione set her jaw and crossed her arms. "Well, if we must go down, I'm going with you," she insisted. "There could be another Devil's Snare down there or something."

"Ginny, what about you, are you up to this?" Harry knew the Chamber held some dark and frightening memories for his girlfriend.

"This could be good therapy for me," she replied. "Maybe I can get over my fear of heights if I go back to the place where that fear first started."

"You're afraid of heights?" Neville asked incredulously. "How, then, do you play quidditch so well?"

"If I go fast enough, I forget to be afraid because I can't see the ground," Ginny responded. "I think I could really improve my game, though, if I could concentrate more on the quaffle than on keeping up my speed and ignoring the panic."

"Well, he's been down there five minutes or so already," Harry said, bringing the attention back to the opened entrance to the Chamber. "Are we all ready?"

"What if he catches us?" Hermione asked nervously. "How will we keep from getting killed? That could be one of Vold..demort's most powerful followers down there, for all we know."

"We'll have to keep out of sight," Harry said. "I've been working on the disillusionment charm. I planned on teaching it to the D.A. soon. I think I can manage it on all of us."

"O.K., but be careful," Hermione warned, knowing the dangers of the spell.

"Here goes," Harry said, pointing the wand at himself first. When he had successfully disillusioned himself, he cast the spell on Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. They whispered their goodbyes to Neville and Luna, and entered Myrtle's domain as quietly as they could.

"Who's there?" Myrtle asked as she saw and heard the door open and close. "Is someone here? I don't like people sneaking up on me!" She seemed to be getting a little too excited.

"It's just me," Harry said.

"Harry? Why can't I see you?" Myrtle asked.

"Nevermind that," Harry said. "We have to get into the Chamber. That man who went down there, do you know who he is?"

"I thought it was that nasty old Mr. Filch, but then he pulled out a wand. I don't know who it was. Are you going down to find him?" Myrtle seemed extraordinarily happy all of a sudden.

"Yes, but I have no intention of dying, so don't get your hopes up." Harry stood on the edge of the open tunnel, took Ginny's invisible hand in his own, and counted, "One, two, three!" They jumped on three. They slid down the tube hand in hand. Moments later they heard Ron and Hermione slide down as well.

"You boys weren't kidding when you said this place was disgusting. At least the Basilisk is dead now," Hermione commented in a hoarse whisper.

"Here's where the ceiling caved in when Lockhart tried to Obliviate our memories," Harry said, indicating the pile and the small hole at the top.

"Let's secure that into a solid rock wall with a slightly larger hole before we climb through. We don't need it coming down on us as soon as we get to the other side." Hermione, Harry thought, always knew just what to do.

As soon as Hermione had secured the wall, the four of them climbed through to the other side. Harry found himself passing through some very familiar, very foreboding passages as they approached the entrance to the chamber. He hissed a command to the chamber's main doors, and the friends stepped into what Harry considered Salazar Slytherin's private throne room. Ginny suddenly froze, staring at the giant statue of old Slytherin.

"Are you O.K, Gin?" Harry asked worriedly.

"It's…it's just…."

"It's all right to be afraid," Harry comforted her. He felt her squeeze his hand, and wished he could see her expression.

"Where did the imposter go?" Ginny suddenly changed the subject.

"I don't know," Harry said, "I was sure we'd find him in here."

"Maybe he heard us following him and pulled on an invisibility cloak or used the disillusionment charm," Ron suggested.

"Be absolutely silent," Harry said. "We'll wait behind this snake statue for him to come out so he doesn't try to walk right through us when he leaves the Chamber. He's probably gone into the tunnels or something."

Just then, a very familiar looking rat with one very silvery front foot came scurrying out from behind the statue of Slytherin. The rat ran right past the four hidden students and transformed back into the Filch imposter just before climbing through the still open door of the Chamber. As soon as he had gone and closed the door behind him, Harry removed the disillusionment charm from himself and his friends.

"That had to have been Petigrew using Polyjuice potion," Harry said, his eyes betraying both the fear and the anger he felt.

"That explains why he wasn't on the map," Hermione surmised. "He would know better than anyone that you have it, Harry. He must have made himself unplottable so you'd never see his name and know he was here."

"But why _is_ he here?" Harry asked, "What is he up to? And how is he able to speak parseltongue?"

"The same way I could," Ginny reminded Harry. "He probably allowed Voldemort access to his mind so he could speak through him."

"He came from behind that statue," Ron pointed out. "If we go back there, maybe we can find out what he was doing."

"And maybe _you_ can all explain what _you're_ doing," the sneering, malicious voice of their potions master spoke from the doorway of the Chamber. Harry whipped around to face Snape. But he knew he had no defense. He and his friends had been caught red handed.

"Headmasters office, all of you, immediately!" Snape ordered. "You're lookout team is already there by now."

"Professor Snape, it's Petigrew, he's impersonating Filch!" Harry tried desperately to make their efforts bear some fruit.

"Not another word, Potter, or I shall silence you myself. It seems you have not learned your lesson since your trip to the Ministry last spring. You're still charging off, thoughtless of the consequences, endangering others in the process." Snape seemed to be enjoying this far too much. Harry and his friends followed Snape back to the stone wall Hermione had secured, and stopped just under the pipe that led back up to the bathroom. Snape levitated Ron, Hermione, and then Ginny up to the top. He had just turned his wand toward Harry when a sudden explosion of pain caused Harry to collapse to the floor, hands clasped to his forehead.

"Potter, close your mind! Do you hear me? Close it immediately!" Snape's voice betrayed the terror he felt. Harry barely registered that his connection to Voldemort was about to give Snape's loyalties away before the hissing, nearly screaming voice of his enemy filled his mind and blocked out all reality. In that moment, it was just Harry and Voldemort surrounded by a void of timeless space.

"Return to me, young Potter. Return to me! Come and face me if you dare! Come and join me if you wish to live."

"NEVER!" Harry cried out. "I will destroy you, Voldemort. I will not let you continue your reign of terror."

"I could kill you now," Voldemort hissed. "I could destroy you in this very instant!"

"If you could," Harry reasoned, "You'd have already done it! GET OUT, GET OUT OF MY MIND!" Harry struggled to force his enemy out of his mind. All his power was focused on the effort. When he finally succeeded, he blinked open his eyes and discovered he was no longer laying on the bone strewn floor of the Chamber's entrance, but in a bed in the hospital wing. Ginny sat in a chair by his side running her hands through her very messy hair, her face smudged with grime from the Chamber.

"Ginny," Harry whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Harry," she squealed and flung herself on top of him. "Harry, I was so worried! I thought he was going to kill you!"

"He certainly wanted to," Harry croaked. "How much trouble are we in?"

"Loads! Dumbledore says we have to serve a month of detentions each when we get back from holiday. I've never seen him so angry. But I had a feeling he wasn't as mad at us as he was at the situation. Petigrew has been right here under his nose since the beginning of the year, and even he didn't know. They're going to seal up the Chamber entrance in Myrtle's bathroom."

"No, they can't do that," Harry exclaimed sitting up too quickly and finding out the hard way that he was sporting a wicked headache. He leaned back again before continuing weakly, "They have to find out what that rat was up to first. They have to go down there and stop whatever plans have been set into motion already."

"That's what Ron and I said, too. But Dumbledore and Snape both seemed to think that Voldemort would be best thwarted if he were denied access to the school from the Chamber."

"There are other ways to get in here," Harry told her. "The map shows them all. Some are caved in, but you can still get into Hogwarts from Honeydukes and from the Shrieking Shack. Entry isn't Voldemort's aim. There's something else he's after."

"You mean besides you?" Ginny chided him.

"He asked me to join him again," Harry said.

"I know."

"He needs me."

"What?"

"He must think there is something only I can do, like getting the Prophecy for him, but something else. He thinks he needs me for something. He should have killed me down there, but he didn't. There has to be a reason why he asked me to join him instead of just wanting me dead as he's wanted in the past."

"That's crazy, Harry," Ginny argued. "He was just trying to trick you."

"Maybe, but I still should tell Dumbledore about this."

"Tell me about what, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as he entered the hospital wing and approached Harry's bed.

"Professor," Harry said, relief and fear washing over him in turn. "I'm sorry sir. I know I shouldn't have gone down there."

"You would have done better to have contacted a member of the Order, that is for certain. Voldemort is now aware that we know he's been using the Chamber. He will most assuredly move his operation elsewhere, now, and we will have to search him out again."

"You mean, the Order knew he was using the Chamber?" Harry was astounded, and beginning to feel a little foolish.

"Yes, and no. We knew he was planning something that had to do with the Chamber, but we were not aware that he had planted Mr. Petigrew here in Mr. Filch's place. I am quite grateful to you to have discovered that piece of information. Members of the Order can now be alerted to Mr. Filch's disappearance and begin to search for him." Dumbledore paused for a few seconds and then asked, "What was it you were anxious to tell me, then?"

"Voldemort, when he invaded my mind, he asked me to join him. He said he had the power to kill me through the mind link and would unless I joined him. The last time we met, he wanted nothing more than to kill me. If you hadn't shown up when you did, he would have. Now he wants to bargain with me. Why does he need me alive now? What does he want with me."

"I would wager what he wants is not you, but the body you inhabit. He would probably like to lure you to him, destroy you, and possess your body as his own. The one he created in the cauldron is flawed, you see. It's starting to deteriorate. Many sources tell us that he grows physically weaker by the day. A simple 'kiss' and he could simply discard his own makeshift body and inhabit your young, soulless one."

"Why mine?" Harry asked. "He could have any of the young death eaters at his command kissed and take their bodies. Why does he want mine?"

"Because yours is already connected to his spirit through that scar. He would become infinitely more powerful if he could fulfill the prophecy and take your body for his own in the process." Dumbledore explained further. "I should congratulate you on your excellent mastery of Occlumency, by the way. You managed first to block his view of your physical surroundings, and then to cast him out entirely. That was really rather impressive."

Harry smiled at the praise. "Professor, I don't think you should seal up the Chamber, at least not yet. Someone from the Order should go down and investigate what Petigrew was doing down there."

"Perhaps you're right, Harry. But once the investigation has been completed, I fully intend to seal that Chamber. It has been the cause of enough trouble for this school already. I had thought that knowing where it was, we'd be able to secure it with guard duties," Harry reflected that this was probably what Snape had been doing when he came across Neville and Luna and the open Chamber entrance. "But now it is clear to me that this is insufficient. The entrance will have to be permanently sealed."

It was with heavy hearts and guilty consciences that Harry and his friends boarded the Hogwarts Express the next morning.

"I'm sorry I got us into so much trouble," Harry said to Ron and Hermione as they were stepping off the train at Kings Cross Station.

"Well," Ron sighed, "detentions I can live with. It's mum that worries me. If she got wind of this from Dumbledore, I'm a dead man!"

"I won't let you shoulder that load alone," Harry returned. "This was my idea. Snape was right. I took no thought for our safety."

"You were thinking of the safety of the rest of the wizarding world," Ginny said. "We all were. If we had to do it again, I doubt we'd do anything differently."

"We were all in on it together, Harry," Hermione said.

"No, I convinced you to come. You told me not to do it."

"If we hadn't gone down, no one would know that Mr. Filch was being impersonated by Petigrew. Snape would never have looked twice at a rat scurrying across the floor."

"Let's just hope Mum doesn't know," Ginny said, having just spotted her mother in the crowd.

"She doesn't look too happy," Ron commented. The four of them walked over to where Molly Weasley stood with Mrs. Granger.

"So nice to see you dears," Mrs. Weasley said smiling at them. "How was your term?"

"Um…" Ron looked down at his mum. Despite his being quite a few inches taller than her, it was plainly obvious he was still deathly afraid of her.

"It was fine, mum," Ginny answered quickly.

"Really, well I'm glad for that. But it seems a month of detentions wasn't enough. Perhaps clean up duties at the house will help you all remember why you'll be getting those detentions."

Ron and Ginny walked sulkily all the way to Mrs. Granger's vehicle which was waiting in the parking lot to take them all back to Grimmauld Place. Harry and Hermione exchanged a few worried glances, but otherwise remained silent.

Back at Grimmauld Place, though they were all put to work almost immediately, no one seemed to pay any further attention to them. The Order members shuffled in and out at such an alarming pace, the four friends wondered what on earth was going on and whether the commotion had anything to do with Percy or Mr. Filch. Aside from the initial greeting they received from Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Granger, no one seemed to have time to notice what the four were up to. They worked in the drawing room, dusting and sweeping, and related to Hermione the tale of Ginny's Billywig sting. Their laughter seemed to ease the burden of the work. Lupin stopped to say hi for a moment, but was gone again as quickly as he had come. Harry was extremely grateful for the pleasant distraction Ginny created for him, as his thoughts often turned toward Christmas a year ago, with Sirius there and Mr. Weasley in St. Mungo's. It had been the best and the worst Christmas Harry had ever experienced. It was certainly a memorable one.

On Christmas Eve, Ron and Hermione sat snuggled together by the fire in the kitchen while Harry and Ginny wrapped a few more presents at the table. Harry had decided to put a picture of Sirius that had been taken last year next to the stockings on the mantle. The smiling, waving image made Harry feel almost as if his godfather were still in the house. But it also made him miss him all the more. Harry sighed and looked away from the picture, and Ginny reached out for his hand.

"We can take it down if it hurts you."

"No, I don't want him to go away completely, yet. It will be all right. Let's make some Christmas cookies or something."

"Great idea," Hermione called to them. "I'll get the flour and sugar."

"I'll get the eggs and vanilla," Ginny piped in.

"I'll get a bowl," said Ron.

"I'll stir," came a quiet voice from the doorway. They all turned around to see who had spoken.

"PERCY!" Ginny squealed, and ran over to him. She threw her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could. He winced and staggered, and she backed off, keeping a steadying hand on his elbow. Ron came over and helped Percy sit down, smiling happily. Dumbledore, Snape, and Lupin came in behind Percy, looking grave.

"Mr. Weasley, Remus will show you to your room so you can rest. We will have a healer in shortly to look at your injuries," Dumbledore said. Harry could not understand why they all looked so upset if the mission to rescue Percy had finally been a success. Still, he did not entertain any notion that Dumbledore would explain it. It was sure to be something Order related.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, ignoring Hermione and Harry's quelling looks. "Did everyone return from Malfoy Manor safely?"

"Yes, Miss Weasley, they did," Dumbledore smiled sadly at her. "I am afraid, though, that I cannot explain any further."

'Just as I expected,' Harry thought.

_Well, as long as everyone is all right._

Percy was ushered out of the room and up the stairs to the room where Phineas Nigellus' portrait hung. After he had gone the three Order members grabbed some drinks and a bite to eat before heading back out of the kitchen and into the Study to begin another meeting. Fred and George popped in through the fire, then, and mumbled hellos to the four before walking across the kitchen toward the door into the hall. Fred stopped just short of opening it, though, and tossed four flesh colored balls at them. "Merry Christmas," he spat gloomily, and he and George crossed the threshold and entered the meeting. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione stared at the gifts a moment before looking warily at one another.

"Dare we use them?" Hermione asked.

"I think that was their intention," Ron replied, "though I'm not sure we should go along with it."

"I wonder what they want us to know about," Harry said thoughtfully. "It would have to be big for them to risk their status in the Order for our sakes."

"It's probably about Percy and the rescue mission," Ginny surmised. Curiosity got the better of them, then, and they unraveled the extendable ears and listened in on the meeting.

"…and he's not even been harmed that much." Snape was saying. "It just seems suspicious. The Dark Lord has used the Imperious Curse to ruin reputations before, but never has he given someone the Dark Mark unless that person has proven he is loyal to nothing but Him. It has only been my ability as an Occlumens that has kept him from destroying me thus far."

"Percy insists it was done to make us believe he had joined them," Mrs. Weasley retorted. "He would never join the Death Eaters. I for one believe his story."

"What about the Dementors at Diagon Alley?" George asked. "We know Percy sent them."

"And Mr. Filch, it was Percy who put him under the Imperious Curse so that You-Know-Who could replace him with a spy," said Fred.

"It was Percy who concocted the Polyjuice Potion for Filch's replacement," said George.

"Filch himself testified to it," Fred added.

Mrs. Weasley's muffled sob could be heard, and Mr. Weasley sounded sickened when he spoke. "We should give him one more opportunity to prove he was forced to do all that. If he remains loyal to the Order, we should believe him. If not, he has no idea of our whereabouts, due to the precautions we've already taken. If necessary, he will be expelled."

"I agree with you, Arthur," Dumbledore replied. "But, how shall we test his loyalty?"

"Give him enough rope to hang himself," Fred said.

"What do you mean, Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.

"Send him on a mission he thinks is really important to the Order," Fred responded.

"But is really just a cover," George added.

"Assign him to deliver a vital message to the right person," said Fred.

"If the message gets back to the Death Eaters, Snape will know, and Percy's loyalty will be tarnished." George surmised.

"If the message stays with those in the Order, then he can be trusted," Fred concluded.

"So it shall be," Dumbledore agreed. And Order business turned to the latest raids and destruction caused by the Death Eaters.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another in astonishment.

"They think Percy's a spy for Vol…Voldemort?" Hermione voiced the question they were all asking themselves.

"Wow!" Ron said breathlessly, and Ginny's face fell into a frown. Harry hoped for the sake of all the Weasleys that the Order members would be able to prove Percy's loyalty accurately. He thought it was better to know, one way or the other, than to keep the family torn on the issue. He was sure the twins believed Percy to be guilty. He didn't think Ginny agreed. And Ron was very obviously undecided.

Christmas morning was a simple, but pleasant affair. Lupin, Tonks, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and the four Hogwarts students gathered around the tree in the drawing room. Harry had given Ginny a gold chain with a Griffin pendant which she wore adoringly the rest of the day. He had received from her a polished black stone set into a handsome ring. The stone would turn red if a person with malicious intent was near. Such stones were often carried by the best aurors, according to Tonks, and Harry looked admiringly at the ring. He placed it on his middle finger and determined to wear it constantly. Hermione had given him a book entitled, _The Gifted Teacher, Instructions for the Instructor._ And Ron had given him a special edition copy of Quidditch Weekly, a newer magazine describing the best teams in the world and detailing those that were likely to be in the runnings for the Quidditch World Cup this year. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given him another jumper, green, with a large 'H' on the front, and an assortment of homemade pies and candies. There was a package of treacle tarts from Hagrid, and Harry noted with satisfaction that they had been purchased at Honeydukes. Hagrid had apparently been too busy with Order work to make them himself.

Dinner was enormous, and most of the Order came by to share in a bite of it, though most came and went again without staying long. Harry saw Mrs. Weasley overfill a plate and sneak up the stairs with it, presumably to take it to Percy, who had not emerged from his room since his arrival.

Four days later, when the frantic pace of the Order and the hushed tones of the Weasleys began to get on Harry's nerves, Percy finally emerged from the room. He was wearing slippers and a dark blue bathrobe, and he seemed a mess. Harry could just make out the edge of the skull tattoo under Percy's sleeve, and the sight of it gave him the chills. Percy slunk into the bathroom and emerged again nearly an hour later. His business-like, well groomed appearance back in place, Harry could almost forget about the mark he had seen on his arm. When Percy joined the others for breakfast, the room went quiet and a shadow of doubt mingled with worry crept over the occupants. Percy sat down, smiled wanly, and helped himself to a plateful of pancakes. As he reached for the syrup, his sleeve fell back, fully revealing the mark, and relieving Ron and Ginny of the burden of keeping their knowledge of the matter a secret. Ginny gasped, Ron looked ashen, and Percy froze, mid-reach as they stared at his arm. He pulled it back quickly and asked Ron to pass the syrup to him, apparently hoping to avoid the explanation a little longer. But Ron's stare simply moved from Percy's arm to his face.

"What's this then?" Ron asked bluntly.

"Ron," Percy sighed, but Ron cut him off.

"Have you joined them then? Are you here as a spy for the other side?"

"No, and no. I am here because Dumbledore and the others brought me here. They wouldn't do that if they thought me guilty of anything related to the Death Eaters. It is my intention to join the Order and do what I can to defeat the Dark Lord."

"You called him the Dark Lord. Only Death Eaters do that," Ron accused.

"Snape calls him that," Hermione interjected.

"All right, Death Eaters and former Death Eaters, then. Which are you Percy?" Ron went on mercilessly.

"Ron, please. You don't really think I have ever, would ever…" But it was clear to anyone that this was exactly what Ron thought. He was not alone either. The twins were watching this conversation unfold as though it were a muggle film they had wanted to see for ages. Percy's face fell and he pushed his plate away from himself.

"I see. Even my own family doubts my loyalty. I have been tortured and imprisoned by the Dark Lord, kept without adequate food for weeks on end, and been rescued by the Order, only to have my family turn against me."

"Percy, dear," Mrs. Weasley began, "you can't blame them for asking. Just tell them what you told us."

"No, Mother, I can blame them. I was a Gryffindor, a brother, a friend to these people," Percy indicated the twins, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Harry with a single sweeping motion, "But when I need them the most, they accuse me of wrongdoing. It's not my fault. But, I can see that they will not accept that. I am sorry to have burdened you all with my presence." Percy turned and walked back up the stairs. They heard clunking and scraping sounds and Percy reemerged from the room, his trunk packed and his wand in hand.

"Mother, may I have your permission to use the Burrow until I can find lodgings of my own?"

"Of course, dear, but won't you please reconsider leaving us?"

"Mother, my presence here only causes strife. If and when you have all come to the conclusion that I am not a spy for the Death Eaters, come and see me. Until then, Happy Christmas." And with that said, Percy stepped over to the fire, grabbed a handful of floo powder, stepped in, and was gone. Those who were left looked sadly around at each other, and Ginny and Ron looked determinedly toward their mother for an explanation.

"He told us he was forced to take the mark. He said You-Know-Who wanted to make us think he was a Death Eater so we would throw him out. He says You-Know-Who is just waiting for us to reject him so he can use Percy for his plans. He thought you would know him better than that." Mrs. Weasley looked saddened and disappointed. A tear escaped her eye, and she turned away from the table and left the kitchen.

"Well," said Fred after his Mum was gone, "It's always been the same, hasn't it?"

"Too right, bro," George replied, "Perfect Percy can do no wrong, even the Dark Mark on his arm is disputable evidence of his character."

"Do you really think he's a spy, though?" Ron asked.

"It's altogether possible," Fred answered.

"It was much too easy, the rescue I mean," George added.

"It was as though You-Know-Who wanted us to take him in so he could get a glimpse of Headquarters and possibly have someone in the Order who could help him succeed against us," Fred explained.

"But," and Harry was unsure how to say this, "I…I don't think he wants to be a Death Eater. I saw him. They tortured him. He refused to do Voldemort's bidding, even wished for death at one point." Harry stopped when he saw their disbelieving expressions. "What?" he asked.

"No offense, Harry," said Fred, "But You-Know-Who has planted false visions with you before."

"How can you be sure he wasn't doing that again?" asked George.

Harry fought to control his temper. These were, after all, accurate observations. But Voldemort had seemed surprised by his and Ginny's intrusion that night. How could he have planted the vision if he was surprised when Harry received it? But perhaps he had only been surprised at Ginny's entrance into it. Harry sighed and took one last stab on Percy's behalf, "We'll just have to see, won't we. He'll prove himself eventually, one way or the other. I, though, will not give up hope for him until I'm convinced beyond doubt that he really has joined the other side."

Ginny gave Harry a grateful smile, and Ron looked as though he was willing to go along with this. Fred and George looked knowingly at each other and George finished off the conversation at last by saying, "We'll see his true colors in a day or two then, won't we."

The next seventy two hours were the longest Harry thought he had ever endured. But when the news finally came, it was even worse than anyone ever expected. Mr. Weasley came into the house through the front door, his face contorted with rage, singe marks in his thinning hair.

"Well, we have our answer about Percy," he said, and everyone's attention was immediately upon him. Mr. Weasley held up a small wooden sign, burnt around the edges, still smoldering in one spot. "He burned the whole place to the ground. Nothing is left. I'm sorry Molly." A tear escaped the usually jovial man's eye, and Harry saw the word _Burrow_ inscribed on the wooden sign. An inscription below said simply, "the spy," leaving little doubt as to who had burned the Burrow to the ground. Mrs. Weasley crumpled and the twins just caught her before she hit the ground.


	14. Changing Sides

**Chapter Fourteen: Changing Sides **

If they had heavy hearts when they left Hogwarts for Christmas, it was nothing compared to how Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny felt upon returning to the School. For the first time in Harry's life, the sight of his favorite home didn't cheer him, nor could the favorable results of the Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff game pull him out of his misery. Ginny and Ron could regularly be seen with puffy red eyes or deep darkening scowls on their faces, and Hermione and Harry were hard pressed to keep them from going out on a do or die mission to find Percy and seek revenge upon him. A picture of the burning Burrow, the Dark Mark hovering above the flames as the structure collapsed upon itself, appeared on the front page of the Daily Prophet the day after the incident. The adjoining article named Percy as the chief Death Eater involved in the attack, though evidence of other Death Eaters having been present was found. No other Death Eaters were named in the article.

It seemed everyone at Hogwarts had seen the article by the end of the first week back, and while most offered their condolences (which failed to produce a favorable result with Ron and Ginny), a few, including Malfoy and company, took it in turns to say things like, "Did your parents have any insurance money on that shack? Maybe they can start over with a state of the art card board box!" At which point Ginny would burst into tears on Harry's shoulder and Ron would shout something slightly obscene. By the end of January, Harry and Hermione were starting to get desperate for a way to cheer up their friends.

They spent their month of detentions discussing what had happened to Mr. Filch and what Petigrew might have been doing for Voldemort down in the Chamber of Secrets. It was clear from what they had heard from the Order meeting they had listened in on that Filch had been imprisoned at Malfoy Manor with Percy while he was being impersonated by Petigrew during the whole first half of the school year. Petigrew seemed to have vanished after being discovered by Harry and his friends, and the real Filch had returned to Hogwarts with a renewed sense of nastiness, as though his days in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor had given him a few new ideas for punishments. Mrs. Norris had returned and was nearly always right by Filch's side, as though guarding him from some possible future attack. The students, on the whole, steered clear of the cantankerous old man, and discipline among them maintained an all time high point throughout the month of January.

A few days before the Valentines Day Hogsmeade weekend, Harry received the biggest surprise of his Hogwarts career to date.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were studying in the Library. They had given up, temporarily, on the Ptolemy mind-bond ritual, since Harry and Ginny didn't need it and Ron and Hermione couldn't decide whether they wanted to do it. They were working on Transfiguration homework when a shadow darkened their table. Harry looked up into a pale face surrounded with white blonde hair. He would have spat the usual, "What do you want now, Malfoy?" But something about the expression on Malfoy's face, the utter desperation, the trace of tear stains hastily wiped away, the red, bloodshot eyes, took Harry back a step and made him ask instead, "Is something wrong?"

"I…" Malfoy attempted, and then the other three looked up. Hermione eyed Malfoy suspiciously, but Harry thought she must have seen the things he had, because she said nothing. Ron's eyes grew wide, and then narrowed again, and Ginny sucked in a nervous breath, apparently expecting another sling of insults. Malfoy took a slight step back, as though whatever nerve had gotten him through his first word had suddenly abandoned him.

"Malfoy, has something happened?" Harry asked bluntly, wonder and curiosity vying for his attention. "Is this about Parvati?"

"Yeah," Malfoy whispered breathlessly, "you could say it's something like that."

Harry looked at his friends and sent a thought to Ginny, 'I think he actually needs help. Keep Ron and Hermione here for me. I'll go with him and see what's up.'

_We'll come looking for you if you're not back in ten minutes_. Ginny was obviously not ready to trust Malfoy. Harry wasn't so sure himself, but he didn't think there was much Malfoy could do to him in the Library. Harry stood up, nodded to Ginny, and spoke to Malfoy.

"Let's go. I'll give you ten minutes."

Malfoy nodded his assent and he and Harry went to a secluded corner of the library. To say Harry was uncomfortable with the situation would be to say the Hungarian horntail he'd encountered in his fourth year was a slight annoyance. Green eyes bore into grey, searching for a hint that this could be some sort of trick. Malfoy sniffed, took a deep breath, and began his story.

"Over Christmas, the Dark Lord came to my parents' house," he said, getting right to the point. "I was here at the time, but they sent me an owl today. He…he hurt my mum, put her under the Cruciatus curse, because she hadn't trained me properly to become a Death Eater. Father says it's because she wouldn't let him send me to Durmstrang. He plans to hurt Parvati. I think he intends to kill me if I don't join."

"Wow," was all Harry could think to say. To himself he thought, 'Welcome to my world.'

"I know we have never been friends…"

"How can I help?" Harry asked bluntly, his tone letting Malfoy know that he was aware of their mutual dislike for each other.

"I need…I need to know…to know how to…fight him." The last two words were filled with a mixture of determination and absolute terror. Harry stood awe-struck for a few moments. Draco Malfoy was asking Harry Potter how to defend himself against Voldemort. Harry honestly never thought this day would come. He had always expected Malfoy to join his father as a Death Eater, either out of the desire to see Voldemort win, or out of utter fear. But fear, it seemed, had driven Malfoy in the opposite direction, and here he was, asking Harry, of all people, for help.

As if to answer Harry's unspoken question, Malfoy whispered, "Dumbledore said I should join the D.A."

Harry didn't speak the rest of that day. He would nod or shake his head in response to his friends' questions about Malfoy. Something about what had happened in the library not only rendered Harry speechless, but it somehow pulled Ron and Ginny, at least temporarily, out of their misery, having had it replaced by intense curiosity. But Harry wouldn't utter a word. When he felt Ginny's probing in his mind, he used the Occlumency skills he'd been learning from Dumbledore since the beginning of the new year to block her out of that part of his mind.

Their curiosity gave way to frustration that evening in the Common Room where they, along with Neville, who had invited Luna in, sat by the fire as usual. Harry stared into the flames, wishing, more than he had ever done before, that he could see Sirius's head there, just one more time, and talk to him about Malfoy. What would he have done if it had been Snape? Then he remembered that Sirius had been in Azkaban when Snape joined the Order. But Lupin must have known. Harry looked around at his friends.

"Do any of you have any floo powder?" Harry asked suddenly.

"What do you need floo powder for, Harry?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"I just need to talk to Lupin," Harry answered defensively. "I'm not going to try to leave the castle or anything."

"You can't enter or exit Hogwarts through the Common Room fires anyway," Hermione informed him. "It's in Hogwarts: A History. But I suppose none of you have read it yet, have you."

"I have," said Luna, as though it had been a romance novel rather than a history book.

"I started it just last week," Ron said proudly.

"Floo Powder?" Harry reminded, and Ron looked away from Hermione and responded.

"I'd bet McGonagall would have some she would give you. I can't see why she wouldn't let you talk to Lupin."

"Is it curfew time yet? Can we go now?" Harry asked.

"Fifteen minutes to spare, Harry," Hermione warned.

"All right, how about if just Ginny and I go. It'll be faster that way. We'll be back within fifteen minutes."

Harry and Ginny hurried down the hall to Professor McGonagall's office and Harry pounded on the door. The sound of scuffling feet was punctuated by a muffled, "Just a moment," from behind the door. A few seconds later Professor McGonagall swung her office door open and looked down at her students furiously.

"What is the meaning of this, breaking my door down at this hour?"

"Please, Professor," Harry began, "I need some floo powder. I need to talk to Lupin."

"Is this some emergency, Potter?"

"Well, yes, and no. It's about the D.A. I need some really good advice, and I don't think anyone can answer my question better than he can."

"I see, very well then. Come in for a moment." The stern Professor reentered her office and Harry and Ginny followed her in. Harry was forcibly reminded of the time Umbridge had been there, sitting in on Harry's career advice with his head of house. The memory made him all the more determined to talk to Lupin.

"I will allow you to use my fire, Potter, to ensure that you are not overheard and to make certain that you do not continue this conversation into all hours of the night. The powder is on the mantle. I'll be grading some assignments at my desk. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know."

Harry nodded and thanked the professor and looked on the mantle for the jar of floo powder. Securing a handful, he knelt down on a cushion Ginny extracted from the nearby sofa chair and tossed in the powder. "Remus Lupin, 12 Grimmauld Place," Harry said, and stuck his head into the fire.

When the swirling had stopped and the dizziness left him, he found himself staring into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. The twins were there, sipping butterbeers mournfully.

"Harry, ol' chap!" Fred exclaimed upon seeing his head in the fire, "Loo' George, I's Harry,"

"Oi, Harry, wha' ya doin ineh fire?" George slurred, and Harry wondered what was in those bottles besides butterbeer.

"Could you guys go and get Lupin for me?" Harry pleaded, "I really need to talk to him."

"Righ' away, Mate," said Fred, and he and George stumbled out of the kitchen. They were gone for what seemed like an eternity before Harry heard the kitchen door open and close again. Lupin knelt down and greeted Harry cheerily.

"Hey, how's it going, Harry?"

"Fine, though I think you better sober those two up before Mrs. Weasley catches them," Harry replied.

"They've been doing that a lot since the Burrow burned down. It's been all I can do to keep them away from Molly when they're like that."

Sure enough, in the background, shouts of "What on earth are you two thinking? How is the Order to count on you if you can't stay in a standing position?!" came pounding into their ears from somewhere upstairs. Lupin sighed, and Harry figured he'd better get on with his business before the twins were turned to drunken toads by their mother's raging wand.

"Remus, I have a small problem with the D.A., and I need your advice," Harry said quickly, and Lupin's attention returned to Harry immediately.

"What's the problem? I'll help any way I can."

"It's Malfoy. He wants to join."

"What?!" Lupin asked incredulously, as Harry had anticipated he would. "You're not going to let him are you?"

Harry quickly explained all that had transpired in the Library that afternoon and Lupin listened with rapt attention. Harry watched Lupin's face as he considered the situation carefully. "Anyway," Harry concluded, "I thought you'd be able to relate. You must have felt like I do when Snape joined the Order."

"I didn't know about Snape's change of loyalties until several months after he had been inducted. It's probably best that I didn't. By the time we both attended a meeting at the same time, he had completed his first intelligence mission and came to report on it. It was the fact that he had already risked his neck to help the Order that kept me from killing him on the spot. I had been quite certain before then that he had been involved when your parents were killed. You're going to have a time convincing your friends that Malfoy can be trusted." Lupin's answer only served to confirm Harry's fears.

"That's just it, how do I do that?" he asked.

"Put him through the Shrieking Shack test," Lupin suggested, "If he'll willingly allow you all to cast hexes at him and not harm any of you in the mean time, he's trustworthy. It wouldn't hurt to put him under a wizard's oath either."

"Good idea," Harry agreed. "Thanks for listening."

"No problem, Harry. Thanks for asking me. That's what I'm here for. I'm honored that you would come to me."

Harry nodded and said his goodbyes before pulling his head through the swirling, dizzying vortex of the floo system and sitting upright at last on the cushion on the floor of McGonagall's office. Both the professor and Ginny were staring at him, their chins dropping to the floor and their expressions twin masks of disbelief. McGonagall quickly turned away, pursing her lips and shaking her head, but Ginny asked pointedly, "Malfoy is joining the D.A.?!"

"Yeah," Harry told her, "Now you see why I didn't tell you guys. Ron would have gone ballistic!"

They returned in silence to the Common Room and determined not to talk about this with Ron and Hermione until it was absolutely necessary. When they arrived back at Gryffindor tower they waved off Ron and Hermione's questions and headed straight for their dorms. Harry wrote a note to Malfoy inviting him to the Shrieking Shack for induction into the D.A. during the coming Hogsmeade weekend. He would take it to the Owlry in the morning and send it out with Hedwig. He had had precious few errands on which to send his faithful pet, and he hoped she would not take offense at this one. He tucked the note under his pillow to keep it out of Ron's view and climbed into bed.

Hogsmeade was decorated in the most cheerful pinks, reds and whites the shop owners could come up with. The softly falling snow hovering over the whitened pavement was almost enough to hypnotize Harry into forgetting what he'd have to do come two o'clock. He still had not divulged his secret to his friends, and he was having a time convincing himself not to ditch them when he went to the Shrieking Shack to meet Malfoy. It was only his own lack of trust in his Slytherin nemesis that kept him from doing so. There was always a chance he'd need their help up there. 1:30pm rolled around, and Harry finally had to do the unavoidable thing he'd been dreading.

"Ron, Hermione, we need to go to the Shrieking Shack now," he said warily, as though he were inviting them to his own funeral.

"Why, Harry?" Hermione asked simply.

"There is a new member of the D.A. who needs to be tested. I want you to do what you did with the first set of recruits."

"But you didn't test the others who joined after that," Ron said looking confused. "Who is this person?"

"Someone whose loyalty and skill level are both a bit in question. I am almost convinced he's trustworthy. I need him to prove it. The Shrieking Shack test will help." Harry stood up and began walking out to avoid further questions, and the others obediently followed him. They arrived at the Shack a little early, but Malfoy was already waiting. For the first time since they had all entered Hogwarts, Malfoy's cronies were no where to be seen, and Malfoy himself actually smiled slightly as he watched them approach. The smile quickly turned to a frown, though, when Ron saw who they'd be testing.

"This is our new member?!" Ron blurted out, "He just wants to join so he can tell You-Know-Who all about us. He'll rat us out, Harry!"

"Harry, this can't be right," Hermione added, incredulity and malice exuding from every part of her being.

"Take your places inside," Harry commanded them, and with worried and affronted looks, they did. Ginny gave Harry a reassuring pat on his shoulder, and then joined them. Harry eyed Malfoy searchingly.

"Have your wand?" Harry asked.

"Of course."

"I'm going to send you into the Shack. Ron, Hermione and Ginny will act like your assailants, and your job is to get through from the front door to the back. I'll be waiting at the back door to undo any hexes you get caught with while you're in there."

Malfoy looked at Harry warily for a moment, and then proceeded to the front door. Harry watched as he entered and then walked around the building to wait. He opened his mind link with Ginny so she could tell him what was happening inside.

_Malfoy's in. He's going upstairs. Hermione's up there. _

There was a shout, a loud thump, and all became quiet again. 'What happened?'

_Malfoy almost got caught by Hermione's stunner, but he dodged it just in time. He ran into a bureau, but otherwise, all is well. He's headed toward Ron in the kitchen._

_Ron's hiding in the pantry and Malfoy is headed right past it._

A crash, a bang, and a few sparks emitted from the kitchen window. More sparks followed, and Harry was sure they were in the midst of a duel. He knew Ron could skunk Malfoy, but wondered how it was going. 'Can you see them?'

_No, hold on…OK, I can see them now. He's not bad, you know._

'Who, Malfoy or Ron?'

_Both, really, but I meant Malfoy. Seeing this, I'd say he's been studying up a bit. Whoa, he almost got Ron with that one. Here goes, I'm headed in. Let's see if he can get past my bat bogey, eh?_

Harry chuckled to himself and moved closer to the kitchen window in hopes of seeing the duel. He peered in just as they were moving into the parlor. Harry quickly rounded the house to get a better view. Ron and Malfoy seemed to be taking out all of their pent up animosity upon each other. Both faces were red with fury, eyes set in concentration. Ginny snuck in from behind and cast the bat bogey at Malfoy. He must have heard her voice, because he ducked just in time. He pulled himself up and whirled around. He sent a quick stunner at Ginny, who jumped to her right to avoid it, and then quickly sent another over his shoulder at Ron. Ron, having not anticipated Malfoy's backwards move, was hit in the shoulder and slumped to the floor. Malfoy quickly turned, jumped over Ron's prone form and dashed for the back door. He was two steps from his exit when Hermione caught him off guard. She had transfigured his shoes into ice skates and he tripped. The point of his left skate wedged itself into the floor and Malfoy howled in fury. He aimed his wand at the skates and cast a spell to remove them. He hopped up in his sock feet and wrenched the door open. Harry walked back around the house to the back door and smiled widely.

"Well, that was more fun than we've had in ages, Malfoy. I hope you enjoyed it as well," Harry said as Malfoy glared at him. "Hermione," he called and she exited the house, smiling. "Could you fix Draco's shoes please?"

"Of course, Harry," she said, and aimed her wand. Malfoy flinched a bit, but otherwise stood still. Harry entered the Shack to revive Ron. After a quick, "Enervate," he and Ron and Ginny joined Malfoy and Hermione on the back porch.

"You're rather good," Harry offered.

"Whatever. I suppose you all thought this a terrific laugh at my expense," Malfoy said angrily.

"Look, Draco, we put the others through the same routine. And you can't blame us for wanting to test your loyalties. I could have blocked you if you had sent any really harmful spells at my friends. But you didn't, just stunners and the like." Harry hoped he was pacifying Malfoy.

"So, am I in?" was the simple request.

"Yes, and you'll be in the higher level group with Hermione and me," Harry responded, almost proudly.

"The mudblood is in my group?" Malfoy looked disgusted.

"Hermione assists me in instructing 'your' group, and I'll thank you to call her by name from now on. There are several muggle-borns in our group, and they will be given respect as members of the D.A., is that clear, Malfoy?" Harry's temper was kindled slightly, but he had no desire to push Malfoy too far away. He had a sense that the Slytherin could prove to be a great asset at some point in the future. 'A younger Snape,' he thought, and Ginny seemed to agree.

_He's a bit grumpy, but he seems trustworthy._

Malfoy stared into Harry's eyes a moment, and a flash of recognition crossed the Slytherin's face. "You trust me, even though…even with all our history!"

"For now, yes. You're in, as soon as you sign the list. I also need one more thing from you."

"What's that?"

"I need you to swear a wizard's oath that you will remain faithful to Dumbledore, and to me, as an ally against Voldemort, for the rest of your life." Harry watched as the impact of his words sunk into Malfoy's mind. He had expected surprise, fear, even rejection. Instead he saw a resolve such as he had only witnessed within the hearts of his dearest friends during some of the most dangerous moments of their lives. It bolstered Harry's heart to see that.

"I solemnly swear and give my word as a wizard that I will remain faithful to Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter in the struggle against the Dark Lord for the remainder of my life," Malfoy swore, and it was enough for Harry. Hermione produced the parchment with the names of all the D.A. members and 'Draco Malfoy,' was added to the bottom of the list. Harry looked at the signature and was reminded of the bit of history from the British/American war he had learned in grammar school back in Surrey – the signature of John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence.

Malfoy seemed to follow Harry's gaze to the signature and answered the unasked question, "So that if the Dark Lord or any Death Eater ever gets hold of that list, my name will be the first one they see. I hope, if that ever happens, it'll be my father who sees it first!"

Harry stared into the face of his former enemy. The resolve, the sureness, the calm determination was so new to this boy's character. Harry had to wonder, "What happened, Malfoy? What made you change sides?"

"It wasn't so much changing sides as choosing sides," Malfoy replied, "And Parvati and my mum had a lot to do with it. But mostly, I don't want to become like my father. He is a horrible man. I would do anything to be rid of his image."

Harry was reminded of Barty Crouch, Jr., who had done the same kind of switch, but in the other direction. "You may look like your father, Draco, and carry his name. But you must be your mother's son at heart! She was a Black, like Sirius, after all."

"Yes, yes she was, still is I think, though she can't show it to anyone now. I'm sorry about Sirius. I know he meant something to you."

"He was my Godfather, and my friend. Look, I think we'd better get back. Dinner will be waiting for us. Hermione, give him a galleon."

"You pay people to join this group?" Malfoy asked with a smirk as Hermione reached into her pocket and withdrew the coin attached to a piece of parchment.

"Yeah, well, read the directions before you go spending it, or you won't know when to come to meetings," Harry laughed, and he motioned for his friends to follow. They all descended the hill toward the road leaving Malfoy to his thoughts. Harry glanced back once and noticed the Slytherin watching them, and almost thought he saw a glimmer of envy before the characteristic Malfoy smirk returned. Harry nodded to the new D.A. member, who returned the gesture and then left in a different direction.

_Did we make a mistake today?_

'No, I think we just turned the tide of this war.'

_How do you come to that conclusion?_

'It's just a hunch, but I really think this is the first step toward something huge. We'll just have to wait and see if I'm right.'

_I hope you are right. I'd hate to see him switch sides again at the very moment we need him most._

"He swore an oath, a wizard's oath. His word will bind him forever. He wouldn't have done that if he weren't sure of his decision. Still, I wouldn't count on him being friendly with us from now on.'

_No, of course not. He has a reputation to maintain, doesn't he?_

'Exactly.'

The foursome had arrived at the Entrance Hall, and they were proceeding into the Great Hall when the grim face of the headmaster caught Harry's attention. What surprised Harry more was that Lupin was up at the head table, standing opposite Dumbledore, with what looked like a rat dangling from his fingers.

Hermione seemed to have noticed as well because she suddenly gasped and asked, "That's not…Scabbers…is it?"

Ron looked up then, and studied the scene carefully before responding, "Sure looks like him!"

"Let's go see about it," Harry added, and they all walked quickly to the front of the room.

"Lupin?" Harry called, and Lupin's tearstained, drawn-out face turned to peer down at him.

"Harry…"

"Is that who I think it is?" Harry asked cryptically.

"Yes," was the flat reply, and Dumbledore suddenly looked surprisingly old and forlorn. "It's Petigrew. I found him down in the Chamber…"

"Remus, not here," the headmaster stopped him. "Come to my office. We'll discuss this there. Harry, all of you, not a word of this to anyone, not even the D.A., is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"Of course, sir," Hermione added as Ron and Ginny nodded.

They all found seats at the Gryffindor table and began their meal in silence. A few people asked them about the former professor's presence, but they just replied that he had come to talk to the headmaster and said nothing more. When Seamus asked about Ron's former pet rat, Harry was a bit concerned, but Ron had a perfect reply.

"Scabbers died in our third year, Seamus, so that had to have been some other. I'm sure it was nothing important," he had said, and Seamus had accepted that and gone back to his dinner. But Harry and his friends, though they suspected they'd never find out, wondered what had really happened involving Petigrew's demise down in the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry attempted to get the story of what happened to Petigrew in the Chamber out of Tonks, thinking Lupin might have told her, but to no avail. The two were clearing up after one of Harry's classes, a group of third years who were really starting to get the hang of the Diffindo spell, having successfully torn apart several of the cushions Harry had borrowed for the class to use. He and Tonks were just finishing repairing them all when Harry got the final word from her on the matter.

"Harry, I cannot divulge Order business to you, no matter how many times you ask. When you are of age, join the Order, then I'll tell you all about it."

"But Tonks," Harry tried one last desperate time.

"No, and if you ask again, it'll be Professor Tonks and a detention cleaning the bedpans in the hospital wing!" she insisted.

Harry gave up and pointed his wand at the last ripped cushion. "Repairo," he muttered grumpily and it sewed itself up. The stuffing that hung out between the stitches was evidence of Harry's mood. He trudged unhappily up to the Common Room for the break he shared with Ginny on Wednesdays and was grateful to find her waiting for him.

"Looks like you've had a bad day," Ginny commented as she rose from her chair.

"Yeah, Tonks still won't tell me what happened to Petigrew, and Potions was a lovely fiasco," Harry replied.

"What happened in potions?" Ginny queried, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed.

"Neville and I were doing just fine. He was stirring, and I swear the board said counter-clockwise. I threw in the lace-wings and the whole thing turned a sickly brown color. Snape evanesced the whole thing, and when I looked again, the board said to stir clockwise after adding the lace-wings. I swear Snape changed it just for us. He hasn't been able to fault us for anything in class since the school year began, and I think he was in need of a fix! It was just grating on him that he hadn't messed us up yet."

"Heaven only knows why Snape does what he does, but at least it didn't explode on you. Remember my exploding cheering potion from last week? That was a doozy. Lost me fifty points! I was lucky not to get a detention."

"Yeah, but the purple hair you got from it was gorgeous!" Harry chuckled, and Ginny's smile broke into a laugh. Time slowed for a moment as Harry watched her laugh and he wished he could stop time altogether and keep her that happy forever.

"Hey Mate," Ron called as he climbed through the portrait hole followed by Hermione. "Did she tell you anything?"

"Not a thing," Harry replied frowning, not from the subject of Tonks' lack of info, but because he'd been pulled out of his blissful moment with Ginny.

"Sorry mate, that's too bad," Ron said, mimicking Harry's frown, but half a second later his smile had returned. "Hey, let's have a game of chess! Who wants to lose to me today?"

They all laughed and Harry sat down to play.

There were other things to think about besides Pettigrew's demise. D.A. meetings had gotten interesting now that Malfoy had joined the group. The first day had been rather difficult. As soon as Malfoy had entered the room, several members stood and aimed their wands at him, assuming he had come to cause trouble. If Harry hadn't been there, they might have hexed him into oblivion.

'It's all right," Harry had said, "he's our newest member."

"You have to be joking, Harry," Ernie McMillan had said incredulously. "You inducted Draco Malfoy?!"

Harry took out the list and showed everyone in the advanced group the signature at the bottom. A few gasped, others just stared.

"Look you guys, Malfoy has sworn a wizard's oath to remain faithful to our side of this war against Voldemort. He has taken a great risk to join us, and I expect you to treat him with the same respect you treat everyone else in here."

The room quieted down then, but Harry noticed from time to time that students who were paired with Malfoy tended to either falter out of fear of him or attack him far more vehemently than they would have anyone else. Malfoy took these attitudes with a grain of salt, seeming not to care in the slightest what they thought of him. It was only when Harry set Hermione to duel against Malfoy that things got ugly.

"I will not duel the Mudblood!" Malfoy had objected crossly.

"Malfoy, I will not allow you to refer to Hermione in that manner!" Harry barked, and many around him paled, but Malfoy didn't budge.

"My apologies to the Mudblood," he mocked, and Harry's temper rose a notch. Hermione was understandably angry, but she kept her cool just the same.

"Expelliarmus," she shouted, and Malfoy's wand instantly shot toward her. Malfoy threw her a nasty sneer. She tossed his wand back to him and he wiped it off thoroughly on his robes.

"Serpensortia," the Slytherin called, and a large asp appeared in front of Hermione. Harry walked forward and caught the snake's eye.

"You will not attack anyone," Harry commanded the snake, and it hissed angrily at him. Harry racked his brain for the memory of what Snape had done to destroy the one that Malfoy had conjured against himself back in their second year. Unable to remember it, he settled for caging the snake in a book Hermione obligingly transfigured into a basket with a lid. He sent Colin Creevey to take it to Snape and then returned his attention to Malfoy.

"OK, that was downright obnoxious," Harry reprimanded him, and Malfoy attempted to look affronted.

"Me, obnoxious? Come on Potter, why don't we see what you can do against me?"

Harry knew that in this provoked state of mind he wouldn't be on his par, but he was still sure that he could skunk Malfoy blindfolded. "You're on," he agreed and the two bowed to start the duel. They battled until Harry had pinned Malfoy with a well timed Petrificus Totalis, and knelt on the Slytherin's chest.

"Apologize to Hermione properly," Harry commanded him before muttering, "finite incantatum."

"All right, fine, I'm sorry Granger," Malfoy sighed defeatedly.

Time demanded they end the meeting at that moment, and Harry dismissed the group without taking his eyes off of Malfoy until he had exited the room.

"I'm sorry about all of that, Hermione," Harry said when he was sure Malfoy was out of earshot.

"It's nothing new," Hermione dismissed it, "still, I had hoped we would see less of that now that he's on our side."

"Well, I guess old habits die hard. He's no fan of Voldemort, but his views on Muggle-borns are the same as always. If he does it again, though, I'll teach him a harsher lesson than I did today!"

Ron and Ginny came in after a few minutes, followed by Neville and Luna, as it was their custom to return Luna to the Ravenclaw Common Room and then proceed to their own together after each meeting. Now and then Neville would invite Luna up to Gryffindor tower instead and then walk her down to Ravenclaw's portrait hole later.

"What's going on in here?" Ron asked when he saw their grave expressions.

"Malfoy, his first meeting was a load of fun!" Hermione answered, and Ron got the rundown from her as they walked along the corridors.

"Well, I can't say I expected much else from that slimy bastard, but I had hoped he would make some effort to be civil," Ginny commented as they reached the Ravenclaw portrait hole. They all said their goodbyes to Luna and moved on toward Gryffindor tower.

"If he ever does it again, I'll beat his brains in," Ron continued the conversation.

"Oh Ron, there's no need for such violence," Hermione sighed, "We can't ask him to change all his political views just because he honestly wants to defend himself against Vol…demort."

"I think it's within our rights to ask him to treat other D.A. members with more respect than that, though," Harry commented. "I, for one, will not allow our group to become another battlefield between us and him. I won't kick him out, but I'll assign him to Neville and Luna's group if he ever calls you by that name again."

"Mine?" squeaked Neville unappreciatively.

"Well, you and Luna are at least both pure-bloods," Harry responded.

"That doesn't mean he likes us any better," Neville argued.

"No, I suppose not. So what do you all propose I do about him?"

"Maybe you should just hex him from behind anytime you catch him using that word, or any other like it," Ginny suggested, an evil grin playing on her face.

"That's kind of foul isn't it?" Harry asked, unable to mask his approval of such action.

"He's no less foul saying those things," Ron argued, and Neville shook his head up and down vigorously.

"All right, that settles it then, that is if you agree as well, Hermione?" Harry eyed her as she considered it.

"Sounds fair to me," she said. "If he can be underhanded, so can we."

Harry had hexed Malfoy four or five times during the next few meetings for repeating the "Mudblood" taunts, and Malfoy seemed to get the message after that. Gradually, the Slytherin began to be accustomed to fighting both against and alongside Hermione. But that didn't mean anyone could mistake them for friends. Harry was repeatedly reminded of the time Sirius had held Snape at wand point when Snape had come to tell Harry he'd be taking Occlumency lessons with him. They both had been in the Order for years, but had never learned to get along. Harry thought it would probably be the same between Malfoy and Hermione. He hoped for the thousandth time that Malfoy would prove to be worth all the trouble he caused.


	15. A New Minister of Magic

**Chapter Fifteen: A New Minister of Magic **

It was a sunny but cold March morning just weeks prior to Easter that the next big bit of news surfaced. Hermione's _Daily Prophet_, which normally proved as useless as a pig under water, caught the attention of the whole gang as she read to Ron that day.

"Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, resigned from office yesterday saying he wished to step out of the limelight during these stressful times. _Daily Prophet_ reporter, Rita Skeeter, wonders if Fudge has decided he simply cannot hack the stress of leading the battle against You-Know-Who and his followers."

"Well, Fudge never did lead that battle," Ron commented, "Dumbledore has always been at the helm, ever since the first attack more than twenty years ago."

"Well, leave it to the _Prophet_ to screw it up," Harry said dryly, then added, "Go on Hermione, what else does it say?" Hermione nodded to Harry and continued.

"An emergency election will be held in two weeks to determine the new Minister. The Wizengamot will select the new Minister based upon skill, experience, and the weight of the popular vote upon any one candidate. Those who have already applied for the job are listed on page three."

"Turn to page three, Hermione," Ron said eagerly, but she was already headed there. They scanned the list of names until they found one that shocked them all.

"Percy Weasley" was clearly printed in the alphabetically ordered and rather short list. Ginny leaned over Harry's shoulder then and stared bug-eyed at the page.

"Percy thinks he can get elected?" she said, and they all looked at each other in shock.

"What are his chances of winning?" Harry asked, remembering the vision he'd seen of Voldemort wanting to do just this with Percy.

"There's a rating chart on page six," Hermione said, and she flipped the pages to find it.

"Apparently, he's in the upper runnings," she said when she had looked over the graph carefully. "And no wonder, since he's running against Mundungus Fletcher and someone named Allen Ringbow. All their credentials are listed here below the graph. Amos Diggory is on the ballot, too. Of all the people listed, he's got my vote."

"Mine too," Ron agreed, and Harry nodded. Ginny looked thoughtful, then asked, "Why doesn't someone more worthwhile run? I know Dumbledore doesn't want the job, and he's got enough with the Order and the School, but there has to be someone with better credentials than Percy or Amos Diggory."

"Well, the members of the Wizengamot all declined saying they felt they could serve better from where they stand," Hermione said, referring to the article on the facing page. "But what about your dad? He'd be great as Minister!"

"He should, but I'd bet he won't," Ginny predicted. "If you haven't noticed, the only one from the Order who listed his name is Fletcher. I'd bet he did it against, rather than because of Dumbledore's orders. I don't think Dumbledore wants the Order members to be in that position."

"I wonder why not," Harry mused looking up at the Professor who was engaged in a conversation with Professor McGonagall as they, too, surveyed the pages of a copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

"He needs them to stay under cover, doesn't he?" Hermione speculated. "Anyone who runs becomes subject to a stringent background and character profiling by both the press and the Wizengamot. He wouldn't want it getting back to the _Prophet_ that someone running was connected with the Order of the Phoenix. There are good reasons why the membership list is kept secret!"

"If candidates are scrutinized so carefully, what makes Percy think he can run?" Ron asked suddenly, and Ginny and Harry nodded their agreement.

"Beats me," Hermione shrugged. "He was just labeled a Death Eater by the _Prophet_ two months ago in a front page article! I can't imagine who he thinks he's kidding now!"

"Let's just hope that it's enough to keep him out of office," Harry said.

"No kidding," Ron said, "That's all we need in this family: a Weasley that goes down in history as the Death Eater that shammed an election and became the worst Minister of Magic in wizard history!"

Tensions seemed to run high among the faculty and staff of Hogwarts over the next two weeks. Teachers gave extra homework, all four houses lost numerous points over small offenses, and classroom atmospheres were gloomy and strict. Even the jovial Professor Flitwick seemed a bit on his guard. A first year showed up in Harry's morning class in tears after her feather caught fire and she was reprimanded for not paying closer attention. Snape's lessons were becoming increasingly nerve-wracking as he peered over his students' shoulders just as they were about to add a mistaken ingredient and evanesced their cauldrons the moment the made half a turn toward stirring the wrong direction. In Transfiguration the day of the election Professor McGonagall hovered over Neville, repeating instructions until his toad, Trevor, was transformed successfully into a photo album and back again. Neville was so nervous by the time he left the room that day that he went straight to Gryffindor Tower to take a hot shower before returning for dinner. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione ate silently, and even when Luna sauntered over to talk about how her father's friend, a herder of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, was sure to win the election, even though his name wasn't listed on the ballot, they just shook their heads, got up from the table, and left her there with Neville. They sat very quietly by the fire that evening. The boys were finishing homework, Ginny was studying some of Hermione's notes from last year to prepare for her OWLs that were coming up, and Hermione was reading her book about the Goblin Wars for the third time. There was no discussion of the election or predicting of the results. No one seemed to want to think about it at all. Nevertheless, it occupied the larger part of each of their minds, and when Ginny did finally speak, it was as though a flood gate had been opened.

"I can't stand it! Percy could really win this thing! Why don't people remember what happened to the Burrow?" Ginny raved.

"This is why," Hermione commented, sliding this morning's copy of the _Prophet_ over toward her.

Ginny read a few lines and visibly paled. She looked up at Harry and he noticed the concern on her face. He took the paper from her and read it, then handed it to Ron.

Ron looked at Harry quizzically, scanned the page, then stood up and exclaimed, "You've got to be kidding me!" Everyone else in the common room turned to look at them, and Ron blushed and sat back down. "They think he was framed? How can they think he was framed?"

"Like it says here, Ron," Hermione informed him, pointing to a paragraph halfway down the page, "He says he never was a Death Eater, that he was lucky to escape the fire without being captured by them, and that the Death Eaters made it look like he was involved to try and estrange him from his family."

"The poor dear," Ron spat in a sarcastic imitation of his mother. "If I remember correctly, it was him that took off from you-know-where and went to the Burrow in a huff. Has anyone even checked his arm for the mark?"

"He must be hiding it somehow," Harry suggested. "Look here, this article makes him out to be some kind of unsung hero!" Harry pointed to the back page of the paper, and Ron turned it over in his hands.

"Oh, good grief," Ron said disgustedly, and tossed the paper onto the table in front of them. "What will this rag print next?"

"If only it were all true," Ginny said quietly, "We'd be celebrating instead of feeling angry, wouldn't we? We'd all be backing Percy one hundred percent, if only he really were the kind of hero this makes him out to be."

"Too true, Gin," Ron said gloomily, and he slunk down in his chair, his knees brushing up against the table leg in front of him and his head resting on the cushion behind his back. "What will happen if he wins?"

"Who knows? At least Hogwarts is still a safe place to be. Voldemort still hasn't found a way to penetrate these walls," Harry tried to comfort them all.

"We can be grateful for that," Ginny agreed, then added, "but what do we do over the summer holiday? We can't just stay here!"

"Well, Grimmauld Place is safe enough, too," Hermione said. "Percy was there, but the fidelius charm will keep him from remembering how to get back, and he never saw much of the Order while he was there. No one even told him it was Order Headquarters. He just thought it was Black's house which now belongs to Harry."

"Really?" Harry asked. "Is that all they told him?"

"Yes," Hermione answered. "Do you remember that they were worried that the rescue mission went far too smoothly? And Snape had found the mark on his arm."

"Yeah," Harry nodded and waited for more of an explanation.

"They were concerned right from the start that he might not be loyal to Dumbledore, and after all his statements and accusations last year when he was running around behind Fudge and Umbridge, they had a reason to worry."

"The twins never did trust him," Ron reminded them. "Even during the rescue mission, they almost gave up and went home before entering the dungeon because they were sure it was a trap."

Hermione nodded and continued, "Tonks told me they used a confundus charm to keep him from knowing where they were headed in the first place, obliviated parts of his memory of the rescue, and then told him they had brought him to your house, Harry, that Sirius had left to you, and Percy never questioned it. Since he left by Floo Powder, he didn't get another chance to see the house from the outside, so there is no way he can tell anyone else that the Order meets there."

"Well, that's a bit of a relief," Harry said with a sigh. "Still, I have an uneasy feeling about this summer, like everything is about to fall apart for us."

"I know, me too," Ginny agreed.

"Likewise," said Hermione, "But all we can do is wait to see about this election, and try to study for our exams."

"We can do more than that," Harry responded. "We don't have much say in government, but we can petition people who do."

"What are you saying, Harry?" Hermione asked eyeing him pointedly.

"I'm saying that if Percy becomes the next Minister of Magic, we should do everything we can to expose him. We should share information we have about him with people who have some political influence, like Madame Bones, Susan's aunt. Maybe we can sway the Wizengamot to reject the popular vote if Percy wins it."

"We can try, but history is against us," Hermione pointed out.

"Meaning?" Ron asked.

"You remember Barty Crouch, don't you?" she reminded.

"Who could forget? Winky still pines for him down in the kitchens," Ron replied.

"And Dobby still tends to her in the Room of Requirement," Ginny put in.

"Haven't seen much of them this year, have we," Ron commented, and Hermione sighed as the conversation turned to house elves.

"Dobby is still a free elf, which makes him useful to Dumbledore," Harry pointed out, and Hermione looked suddenly gleeful. "Dobby goes on errands for the Order, even, from time to time. He stopped by a couple of weeks ago to see me."

"That's great," Hermione exclaimed excitedly, having completely forgotten about the election in favor of the topic of elf rights. "I always knew Dumbledore would come around to helping the elves more. If only we could get the other house elves to realize how pleasant it is to be free. Watching Dobby has to be helping!"

"What were you going to say about Crouch, though, Hermione?" Ginny asked, trying to steer clear of the house-elf topic as soon as possible.

"Well," she began again, "he was almost elected Minister once too, wasn't he? But the popular vote went against him when they saw how he treated his own son who had been caught helping the Death Eaters. No one was even sure if his son was actually guilty, and the trial was horribly unfair. It wasn't until he was unmasked after the Triwizard tournament that anyone knew for sure that he really was a Death Eater and always had been. And then he got the Kiss, so his confession never went on record. But it was too late by then anyway. Barty Crouch Sr. lost the election to Fudge right after his son's trial because the popular vote went against him. The popular vote seems to really count for something."

They sat in silent contemplation as they digested this bit of information. Harry's thoughts turned to all that could happen if a Minister of Magic controlled by the Darkest Wizard of the modern era took office. He shuddered at the thought, and saw Ginny shudder as well. He caught her eye and knew she had heard his thoughts just then. "I've had enough. I'm going to bed," Harry announced, hoping a good night of sleep would help him clear his mind.

"Me too," said Ginny, and the two of them rose from the couch.

"I'll be up in a bit, Harry," Ron replied as he scooted closer to Hermione, and Harry smiled knowingly.

"All right, see you then," he said, and he and Ginny walked to the spot in the stairs where they'd have to part for the night. They stepped just out of sight before Harry wrapped his arms around her tenderly and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You shouldn't let yourself get too gloomy about the future," Ginny reprimanded him for his previous thoughts.

"I know," Harry said, looking into her chocolate eyes. "I just worry is all. You know what the prophecy says. Just what kind of obstacles will I have to overcome by the time I'm trained enough, or powerful enough, or whatever Dumbledore is waiting for?"

"Harry, there are many ways to fulfill a prophecy. Who says you'll defeat him one on one? Maybe your own training and power are not what Dumbledore is waiting for. Maybe he's waiting to see a weakness in Voldemort, or uncover another possibility. Maybe he's just waiting for the prophecy to fulfill itself without his interference or help."

"Then maybe he's just waiting for me to get up enough courage, or anger, whichever comes first, to go out there and do whatever it takes to get rid of the monster."

"Harry…"

"No, I'm sorry. I just wonder sometimes…" and he felt Ginny in his mind, searching for what he wondered.

"Harry, don't think like that. Please, you have to make it through this. I need you to live!"

"I'm sorry Ginny, I don't mean to be so morbid. It's just that I don't see how I can win. If this struggle does take me with it in the end, promise me you'll go on. Promise me you'll be all right."

"I can't promise that, Harry, any more than you can promise me that you'll live through this in the end. We just have to hope for the best. It's like you told the D.A. on the very first day at the Shrieking Shack. He's just a man. He's just a bully and a coward and a pig. We have to believe we can make bacon out of him. If we don't believe it, what are we doing leading the D.A.? What are you doing teaching defense classes? Why are we hoping for anything good if you don't think he can be defeated?"

"I'm quite sure he can be defeated," Harry argued swiftly. "I'm just not sure I can do it. That prophecy says I have to be the one to defeat him. How do I do that? I'm just a kid!"

"The prophecy also says you have a power that he doesn't have. You have the ability to love people. He has never loved or been loved by anyone. But you have loved even the most depraved of the people who have been in your life. You even helped the Dursleys escape the Death Eaters last summer. Your ability to love gives you the strength to help people when others would or could do nothing."

"So what am I to do, love him to death?" Harry laughed at his own question.

"Oh Harry, I can't tell you how to do it, but I have to believe that love will be the magic that will save you in the end." Ginny looked pleadingly into his eyes.

"When all else fails, and I'm sure to be destroyed, it will be my love for you that will give me the courage to go on. I would do anything to have the chance to spend the rest of my life with you." He pulled her closer, and their lips met softly, searchingly. He let the flow of electricity fill him this time, and it seemed to encourage him to continue. They pulled away breathlessly, and Harry whispered softly, "If anything gets me through all of this in the end, it'll be my desire to be with you forever. I can't imagine a world without you in it, either here or wherever we go when we die."

Harry leaned in and kissed Ginny again, and the kiss continued until Ron cleared his throat loudly behind him. Harry quickly pulled away, blushing at being caught, and Ginny smiled and turned toward the girls' dorms. As she passed out of sight, Ron glared at Harry, who did his best to ignore him.

"What was all of that?" Ron demanded.

"Ron, you can't expect me to date her and not kiss her. Don't pretend you weren't doing the same with Hermione just a minute ago."

It was Ron's turn to blush, but he trudged on anyway, "Hermione's not your sister, though. You didn't even notice Hermione passing by you on her way upstairs. It was like you two were in your own little world. You can't blame me for being a little unnerved at seeing you that way with my sister. You said you were going to bed. You didn't say you were gonna go snog Ginny!"

"Would you have let me leave if I had said that?"

"No!"

"Well, enough said. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Would it help to tell you I intend to marry her someday?"

"No, that doesn't help! Now I'm going to have to strangle you in your sleep when you least expect it. You cannot ask me to accept that my sister will someday be a married woman. She's just a little girl!"

Harry chuckled at Ron's reddening face. "Ron, I may not be the best person to tell you this right now, but you have to realize, she's not a little girl anymore. She's fifteen, and she'll be sixteen in a few days. She's only a year from being of age. You already are of age! You're only a year older than she is."

"Thanks again for the birthday bash, by the way," Ron changed the subject abruptly. "That was a real blast!"

"Yeah, sure," Harry sighed, relieved. "That's what friends are for. You guys did the same for me last summer. It was the least I could do."

"Yeah, but your party was for our OWLs too, and it was so…I dunno, we were all pretty upset about Percy and the Dementors."

"Well, was it much different last week when we were all thinking about the election on your birthday?"

"No, I guess it wasn't. But thanks for doing it anyway."

The two boys had made it into their dorm room by now and were standing by their beds. Harry shrugged and smiled, grateful to have Ron's attention diverted from Ginny and himself. They pulled off their robes and climbed into bed exhaustedly.

"G'night, Ron," Harry said as he settled himself in.

"Night, Harry," Ron replied.

Harry waited for sleep to overtake him, but his mind kept replaying the conversations of the evening and all the things he had left unsaid. He lay awake long after Ron's snoring confirmed he had drifted off to sleep. He thought about what Ginny said, that love was the source of his strength. He wondered how the ability to love could ever help him in this fight. He thought about all the people he had loved and who had loved him who had died. Love had not kept his parents or Sirius alive. How would it help him? He lay awake a long time before realizing he had not tried to clear his mind for Occlumency practice yet. He focused on a single thought, Ginny smiling as she sat beside the Unicorn statue from the dream he shared with her. That thought always seemed to be able to block out everything else.

_She was smiling lovingly up at him as he approached. They fell into an embrace and held one another for a long time. There were no words to say. The need to speak was eliminated by the bond they shared. Feelings flowed between them freely, and Harry knew he was loved, knew she would always love him. The feeling overwhelmed him as he sobbed into her shoulder. Fear of the future crept into his thoughts, and she squeezed him harder as though trying to press those thoughts out of him. He pulled away and smiled wistfully at her. _

"_It'll be all right," she said._

"_As long as you stay by my side, it will be," he replied, and he leaned down to kiss her. Power, electricity, sheer uncontrolled energy erupted from the two of them and surrounded them in a yellow orange glow. The kiss deepened. Just when he was sure the power of their love would consume them entirely the sound of faraway voices startled them._

"Harry," Ron shouted, and Harry opened his eyes reluctantly. "Come on, Mate, it's time for breakfast."

Harry glanced toward the nearest window and noticed for the first time the sunlight filtering into the room. He sat up groggily and held his head. There was a throbbing, aching pain that for once wasn't centered on his scar. He closed his eyes against the light that added to his pain, but swung his legs off the bed and attempted to stand. When he almost toppled right back into bed, Ron gave him a searching look and caught his elbow.

"Whoa there, mate, what's the matter? You'd think you hadn't slept a wink!"

"I barely did," Harry croaked, and yawned. "I couldn't fall asleep. Just kept tossing and turning."

When the two of them eventually made it out of their dorm it was only to run into Hermione and Ginny. By the looks of it, Ginny hadn't slept well either. Harry caught her gaze, and as they stared at one another, a fire erupted within each of their eyes.

"You two didn't go sneaking out after we'd all gone to bed, did you?" Ron asked warningly.

"No, no of course not," Ginny replied. "It's just the bond. When Harry can't sleep, I sometimes can't either."

"Sorry, Gin," Harry said without taking his eyes off hers.

"S'ok. You couldn't help it."

Harry finally had to pull his eyes away from Ginny's when Ron pulled him by the arm toward the portrait hole. Hermione and Ginny followed closely behind. They all sat down to breakfast, and Ron and Hermione tucked in as usual. Harry found he didn't have much of an appetite. He and Ginny both ignored their plates as their gazes locked again and they allowed their feelings about the contents of the dream they'd shared to flow between them. They were startled from their reverie when Hermione gasped loudly and spoke in hurried, incomplete sentences.

"It can't be…no…he can't have…Oh, what will we do?" she babbled, and Ron grabbed the paper out of her hands that Harry only just now noticed she was reading.

"So, your brother, eh," Malfoy's drawl came from behind Harry's back, and Ron looked up, his ears turning red.

"Do you know what this means?" Ron asked the Slytherin. "Have you a clue where this is leading?"

"I know all about Percy," Malfoy said. "I always said you Weasleys…" But Malfoy cut off as Harry stood and drew his wand.

"Not today, Malfoy," Harry warned. "You should know by now not to judge a whole family by the actions of one member."

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and shot back in a low hiss, "How do you know you can trust a single one of them? Don't you think if the Dark Lord can get to one Weasley, he could get to any of them?"

"How did I know I could trust you?" Harry whispered. "Should I have rejected you in that manner when you asked me for membership in the D.A.?"

"Perhaps you should have," Malfoy shrugged, but the defeated stance and the resigned expression told Harry he'd gotten his message across. "Look, there's something you should know."

Harry looked on expectantly, but Malfoy shook his head. "Not here," he said quietly. "Meet me in the Library before lunch. Bring them, if you must." Malfoy waved his hand toward the three onlookers. He nodded to them all with a smirk, and then left the Great Hall.

Finally, Harry returned to his seat and glanced over Ron's shoulder at the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ that was now spread flat over the table in front of them. There was a large photo of Percy there smiling proudly and waving. It reminded Harry of Professor Lockhart's false face, and he looked away in disgust.

"Malfoy's got one thing right. No one ever expected a Weasley to be appointed the next Minister of Magic." Ron shook his head sadly, and then folded the paper and handed it back to Hermione.

When Lunch hour finally arrived Harry's curiosity was beginning to wane. Whatever it was Malfoy had to tell him, he doubted it was as important as his grumbling stomach. Still, he trudged on toward the library dutifully. If it was important enough for Malfoy to put on a little show at breakfast, perhaps it was worth listening to. He had told the others to go to lunch without him and save him a seat rather than coming along. He hoped the whole thing would be over faster that way. He nodded to Madame Pince as he passed her station upon entering the library. He looked around and caught the top of Malfoy's white-blonde head poking up from behind an opened copy of the _Daily Prophet._ Harry sat in the empty chair next to the Slytherin and pulled out his potions text book, a quill and a roll of parchment. It had been the unspoken rule so far to never give any indication to the rest of the school, outside of D.A. meetings, that Malfoy had joined sides with Potter and his gang. Harry was quick to see why. Malfoy still had the summer to endure with his parents between their sixth and seventh years. Revealing his allegiance could be dangerous for him.

Harry started on the essay they'd been assigned by Snape that morning and whispered without looking up, "So what's so important that you needed to see me here?"

Malfoy turned a page of his _Daily Prophet_ to show he was listening and whispered in return, "It's Percy. There is a chance he's been placed under the imperious curse again. Father said something in his last letter. He was gloating about it."

"Can you be sure that your father was talking about Percy?" Harry asked, still whispering.

"No, he was very unclear. He was bragging that he has someone important to "The Cause" under his control, that he has essentially taken over the government from behind the scenes. He was trying to frighten me, like he could do the same to me if I don't prove myself worthy this summer." The library was empty now but for the two boys and Madame Pince. The strict librarian glanced their way now and then, obviously hoping they would leave soon so that she could go to lunch as well. But she was too far away to hear what they were saying. Malfoy lowered his _Daily Prophet_ so that Harry could see his worried face. "I really think it's Percy Weasley he's controlling. But I haven't any proof."

"It is possible," Harry agreed. It would certainly fit with the vision he and Ginny had witnessed. "Do you have anywhere else you could go for the summer besides Malfoy Manor?"

"No," was the flat reply.

"You must have tons of relatives!" Harry was aghast. "Isn't there anywhere safer you can go?"

"My grandparents are all dead, and most of my other relatives are just like my parents. The only one I can think of is Aunt Andromeda. My cousin, Nymphadora, she's our Defense Teacher, you know."

"Oh, yeah, I saw that on Sirius' tapestry a year and a half ago." Malfoy raised an eyebrow at Harry, but otherwise made no comment about Harry's foreknowledge of his family.

"But my family has been estranged from them since before I was born. Andromeda married that Mudblood, Tonks, and…Well, I might as well stay at Granger's house as there. The moment I suggested it they would know why." Malfoy looked uncaringly at the _Prophet_ now folded messily in his lap. He straightened the edges nervously and tugged at his lower lip with his teeth. "Look," he finally added, "Don't start worrying about me. I can handle Father. Mother won't let him do much to me. I just have to lay low and act the part of the Death Eaters son for a few months. It's time for lunch, and I dunno about you, but I'm famished." Malfoy stood and began to walk toward the door.

Harry was still concerned. He stood and called out, "Malfoy," and the blonde boy turned around sharply.

"What?!" he snapped.

"Whatever our mutual animosity, I don't want to see you get hurt. No one deserves to live in fear."

Malfoy stepped right up into Harry's face so that their noses were only inches apart. He was taller by just a bit, and quite intimidating at this range, but Harry stood his ground. "Fear is what we will all live in forever if the Dark Lord is allowed to carry out his plans. The whole wizarding world is living in fear right now! There will be _nothing but_ fear until that Bastard of a Dark Lord is thrown down. People will fear, I will fear, and many will get hurt, even die, before this is over. Do you intend to protect them all? Is the Hero and Savior of Hogwarts, the Boy-Who-Lived, able to make sure no one else dies?"

Harry thought of Sirius, of Cedric, of his parents, of all the nameless faceless strangers who had already died or whose lives were ruined because of Voldemort. He had not been able to save any of them. Still, he could not sit idly by and let Malfoy put himself in a situation that they both knew could cost him his life. "Malfoy, you swore an oath to remain faithful to Dumbledore and to me. I trust you as a member of the D.A. and I expect to fight alongside you." He paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "I can't defeat him alone. I will need your help in the end. I need you to stay alive."

Malfoy stepped back and surveyed Harry's face as though judging the truth of his words. "What can you do? Would you go to my parents in my stead?" he asked doubtfully.

"Well, obviously, even Polyjuice couldn't make me enough like you for that to work," Harry chuckled, "But there must be something we can do. I mean, wouldn't you prefer it if you didn't have to go back to your father?"

"Of course I would," Malfoy relented. He sighed heavily and looked at the floor. But suddenly his head popped up, his shoulders squared, and his eyes took on a hardness that surprised Harry. "We each have a part to play to defeat the Dark Lord. If I go back, I can find out what they're up to. I can make Father believe I'm ready to join the Death Eaters and perhaps gather some useful information."

Harry had never seen Malfoy look more like Snape. He broke out into a grin at the comparison and chuckled a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, you just reminded me of someone else." Harry was moving toward the library door now, Malfoy quickly caught up.

"Who?" Malfoy passed Harry and walked backward in front of him.

"Can't tell you" Harry pushed Malfoy aside and continued on.

"Why? D'you forget already, you mindless prat?" Malfoy called out toward Harry's retreating back.

"No, I didn't, I'm just not going to tell you, you bouncing ferret."

"Swooning fainter"

"Hopeless git"

"Fame seeking freak"

The two continued the name calling all the way to the Great Hall. Students they passed on the way looked up at them from time to time, but they were used to Harry and Malfoy's bickering by now. So they paid it no mind. Harry reached the Great Hall first and went to sit with his girlfriend and his two best friends. He watched Malfoy out of the corner of his eye as he sat with Zabini and some other Slytherins, most of whom were in the D.A. He noted that Crabbe and Goyle were at the opposite end of the Slytherin table from the one they had always flanked in the past. If that wasn't a sure sign of Malfoy's change, what else could be? He began to worry afresh about Malfoy's summer plans. But Ron pulled him out of his thoughts.

"So, did you find what you were looking for in the Library?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, and a bit more than I bargained for," Harry responded, looking briefly over his shoulder at Malfoy.

"What happened?" Hermione asked and Ginny gave Harry a concerned look.

"There is a chance Percy is being controlled by an imperious curse. And…"

"And what, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"And someone we know is in a lot of danger this summer. We need to find a way to keep him safe."

"You don't mean…?" Ron looked from the Slytherin table to Harry and gulped. "We're going to help? How?"

"I don't know yet. He turned down my first suggestion. We should talk to Tonks about it. Maybe the Order can help."

"I never thought I'd see the day," Ron said. "A Weasley helping the Death Eaters, whether against his will or not, and _him_ protected by the Order. That's just too much!"

Hermione nodded her agreement and said quietly, "Looks like things are going to be going downhill for a little while, doesn't it?"

"With Voldemort in control of the Ministry, this will likely be the darkest period the wizarding world has seen since his return two summers ago. I can only imagine it'll get worse before it gets any better."


	16. Double Bonded

**Chapter Sixteen: Double Bonded**

As March drew to a close and April approached, the focus of most students turned toward the end of the year exams. Ginny and Luna were noticeably absent during meals and breaks as they spent most of their free time in the library with the rest of the fifth year students. Quidditch season was winding to a close as well as Slytherin and Gryffindor prepared to face off in the final challenge in May. D.A. meetings were held less often because schedules conflicted too much with study routines and quidditch practices. So it was that on a warm, sunny afternoon in April, Harry, Ron and Hermione found themselves lounging under their favorite beach tree overlooking the lake. Harry and Ron were making half an effort to listen to Hermione as she quoted to them from her History of Magic notes, the rest of their attention focused on a few first years taunting the giant squid with some bread crumbs, hoping it would come to the surface to eat them.

"Don't they know squids are carnivorous?" Ron laughed lightheartedly as he watched them.

"Apparently not," Harry responded, but stopped short when he saw Hermione glaring at him.

"You two aren't paying any attention at all!" Hermione scolded.

"That's not true," Ron defended himself. "You were just reading something about the goblins uprising in um…eighteen…um..sixty….something."

"Seventeen twenty! Honestly, how do you two expect to pass the exam?"

"Haven't passed one yet," Harry commented without concern. "The only reason we're still in the class is because it's required for all students regardless of their…hey, what was that?"

"What?" asked Hermione and Ron in unison.

"Across the lake…is that what I think it is?" Harry was staring at a point directly across the lake from the first years who were taunting the giant squid. Three dark hooded figures were floating slowly across the surface of the lake, a layer of ice forming beneath them as the came. The air around the castle quickly lost its warmth and Harry was suddenly quite sure of what he was seeing. "Ron, get Dumbledore, Hermione, summon the D.A. to the Room of Requirement. I'll get these students inside as quickly as possible!"

Ron and Hermione went into action immediately and Harry dashed toward the lakeside to warn the first year students.

"Get inside the castle!" Harry called as he reached the lake. The first years stared at him wide eyed for a moment, but then immediately dashed for the Entrance Hall. Harry pulled his wand then and cast his first spell.

"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled, and the silver stag charged across the lake at the approaching dementors. One dementor was pushed back, but the other two continued forward. Harry directed his patronus at the other two and it toppled them like dominoes. All around him, students were screaming and running for the safety of the castle. Harry caught sight of green quidditch robes in the mix of students trying to cram themselves in through the Entrance Hall doors all at once. Harry felt the warmth of his D.A. coin in his pocket and knew that Hermione had gotten to the D.A. room. He hoped Ginny and Luna would not overlook the summons in their effort to concentrate.

Five more dementors suddenly joined the first three, then four on the left and another four on the right. Harry backed up toward the castle to keep from being surrounded. A few other D.A. members including Seamus and Dean, Neville, and the Creevey brothers, who had been on the grounds came to help Harry hold off the dementors. Together, their patronus charms held back the flow, but a new danger soon emerged.

Several hooded and masked wizards stepped from the depths of the forest onto the grounds and began to advance toward the school. The melee of students struggling to find their way into the castle suddenly froze as one of the Death Eaters sent a stunning spell in their direction. Two students fell, and Harry cried out in anger, "Where are the teachers?"

As if summoned by his cry, Professors Snape, Flitwick, and Sinistra began to push their way through the gaggle of students in the Entrance Hall.

"Now, now," said Flitwick, assessing the situation in the doorway. "Single file, let's get in. Go straight to your common rooms, all of you, as soon as you're in."

"Potter, what on earth…" Snape began, but Harry was not about to concern himself with niceties at a moment like this.

"Not now, Professor. Look out behind you, sir," he said testily, and Snape turned just in time to dodge an angry looking blast of purple light. Harry pulled Seamus down with him as the beam headed straight for them instead.

"You'll have to aim better than that, Dolohov," Harry cried at the Death Eater as he pulled himself up from the ground. "Stupefy!" he yelled, and Dolohov suddenly slumped to the ground.

"Watcher, Harry," said Tonks, emerging from the castle. "Nice shot! But you all best get inside now."

"Go on," Harry said to the five other Gryffindors who had helped him hold off the dementor attack. "Get inside!"

"What about you?" Seamus asked, obvious suspicion in his voice.

"I'm coming. We need to go straight to the D.A. room," Harry replied hastily.

They all rushed toward the Entrance Hall. Harry saw the back of Dennis Creevey's robes slip in through the doors just as a seering pain shot down his back and into his toes. Collapsing and gasping for breath, Harry grabbed onto the door handle for support.

"Oooo, is wittle baby Potter feeling ill," a falsely sweet voice trilled. The sound of that voice filled Harry with rage and he turned to face Bellatrix Lestrange, his face a mask of fury and fire.

"You'll pay for what you did to Sirius," he cried, all reason and logic were swept away in an intense need for vengeance.

Harry sent a series of spells at Bellatrix, which she dodged with the speed and agility of young tigress. Then she turned her wand on Harry and said, "Won't master be pleased! A successful attack on Hogwarts and the added bonus of bringing the famous Harry Potter to him in a little sack. Crucio!"

The pain in Harry's back suddenly reached every extension of his body. Harry writhed and screamed as he slid down the steps and onto the lawn. "Accio Potter," Bellatrix laughed, and Harry felt himself being dragged as though by an invisible string toward his enemy.

Suddenly a stream of red light seemed to come out of nowhere and caught Bellatrix across the shoulders. Harry gasped and cringed as he tried to rise, looking around for the source of this stunner that had saved him. He was certain he'd be looking into the sad and angry face of the headmaster. He was already trying to form the apologies for having not been inside the castle sooner when not Dumbledore, but Draco Malfoy stepped from behind the castle doors and looked reproachfully down at him.

"How are you supposed to save the world if you can't even get away from one witch?" Malfoy spat at him.

Harry sputtered and stared at his defender, confused at the very sight of him.

"Has someone cast a befuddlement charm on you? Come on, get in here, will you? Or do you need me to come out there and carry you in?" Malfoy sneered at Harry.

"I'm coming," Harry groaned as he rose to his feet. Harry had just set foot on the bottom step when Malfoy suddenly turned a sickly shade of green and began to tremble. "What is it?" Harry asked, and then he turned to see for himself. Three Death Eaters were advancing toward the castle entrance, a wisp of white blonde hair slipping out from behind the mask of the one in the middle. Harry instinctively moved backward, away from the Death Eaters, and tripped on the steps behind him. He sat down with a thud on the top step and Malfoy grabbed his cloak from behind, dragging him into the castle. As the doors closed, locking the attackers out, Harry looked up at his rescuer and realized the enormous consequences of what Malfoy had just done.

"Malfoy," Harry nearly whispered, "that was your Dad, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," the other returned, looking away to hide whatever emotions he might be feeling.

"But…" Harry had no idea what to say. "You should have closed the door on me, or at least walked away so I had to get in on my own." A pressure was beginning to settle on Harry's mind, an anxious, heavy feeling, something akin to guilt. "Why?" he asked.

"I swore an oath. Besides, you were going so absurdly slow, couldn't even stay on your feet! Someone had to save your sorry arse!" Malfoy was sneering and taunting as though nothing of any import had ever transpired between them.

Harry shook his head as though trying to remove the cobwebs. Then he said, "Well, let's get to the D.A. rooms. Everyone's waiting for us there."

"Hold off a sec," said Malfoy. "You're bleeding. Let's get you to hospital, then I'll go up and tell them all you got hit on by that Lestrange woman again! That oughta be a laugh!"

"You're such a 'git, Malfoy," Harry began, "And I am not bleeding…" But then Harry remembered the curse that had slammed into him from behind, and he gently pressed his hand into the back of his robes and drew it back. The intense pain of the Cruciatus made this feel like a tiny scratch, but his hand was coated in his own blood, and he suddenly realized his head was foggier than it should be. He tried again to shake away the cobwebs, but found himself unable to stop the room from spinning in the process.

"Potter…POTTER!" a voice called from far, far away.

Harry awoke to find himself in the all too familiar infirmary. Ginny was curled up in the nearest chair, apparently asleep, and Ron and Hermione's voices were floating over toward him from the far end of the room.

"Will he be all right, then?" Ron was asking.

"I expect he will," was Madame Pomfrey's reply. "It's lucky for him Mr. Malfoy intervened when he did."

There was some indistinct grumbling from Ron while Hermione said, "Can we see him then?"

"If he's awake, you can. I'll go and see."

Harry listened to the healer's footsteps as she approached his bed and looked up as she drew back the curtains. "I see you have one visitor here already, despite my insistence. Well, so be it." Madame Pomfrey turned and walked away, muttering under her breath about the stunts students pulled these days, and Ron and Hermione approached Harry warily.

"Is it true?" Ron asked him first. "Did Malfoy really save your life?"

"I'd say he did," Harry said. "I tripped on the steps. If he hadn't pulled me in the door, I'd have been surrounded. His Dad was there, too, saw the whole thing."

"This isn't good, Harry," Ron said.

"Why? Would you prefer it if Malfoy had let me die?"

"No, no of course not," Hermione answered. "But now you have Malfoy's oath of loyalty, and he holds a life debt from you."

"Meaning…?" Harry asked.

"You owe a life debt to Malfoy," Ron clarified. "You, Harry Potter, owe a life debt to Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater and hater of Muggleborns."

"I suppose I do, but like Hermione said, I still have his oath of allegiance. It seems to me this would only serve to solidify his position."

"You're double bonded with Malfoy?" Ginny spoke from the chair in the corner. "That's gonna be weird."

"Sorry we woke you, Gin," Harry said.

"Not to worry, I was getting a terrible knot in my neck from this chair, anyway."

Harry slid over a few inches and patted the bed. "You can come sit here if you like."

Ginny snuggled up next to Harry and Ron nearly forgot his previous concerns as he watched them cuddle. Seeing the darkening expression on Ron's face, Hermione interjected.

"You and Ginny are double bonded as well. It's probably what caused the spontaneous development of the Ptolemy bond," she pointed out.

"Does that mean I'm going to start hearing Malfoy's thoughts as well?" Harry laughed.

"I doubt it," Ginny said, "There's no love lost between the two of you. Our double bonding didn't produce a Ptolemy bond until we had both fallen in love with each other. Unless there is something about you that I don't know, that's not likely to happen with Malfoy."

"Oh my, no," said Hermione. "It's just that…"

"What?" Harry asked.

"It's Malfoy," Ron said as though that explained everything.

"So? Ron, Snape owed a life debt to my father, and that didn't make them into instant friends. Snape's debt was transferred to me when my father died, but it doesn't make him treat me kindly in class. I don't see how this changes anything."

"It's simple, Harry. A life debt can be exchanged for a wizard's oath of loyalty. Malfoy could use this as an excuse to switch sides again," Hermione explained.

"Now, why would I want to do that?" a drawling voice spoke from the doorway, and the four Gryffindors snapped their heads around to see its source.

"How do we know you won't?" Ron asked defiantly. "How can any of us trust you?"

"You don't know, and you don't have to trust me if you don't want to. Look Potter," Draco spoke dryly, "If you like, I'll exchange your life debt for my oath and never bother with any of you again. But I can't go back to my father, now. He knows. There's no mistaking, if I do go home this summer, I will either have to swear my loyalty to the Dark Lord, or suffer whatever fate my father will give me. I would not be surprised if he killed me himself."

"No," Harry said instantly, "there will be no exchange. And you can't go back to your father."

"Where else would I go?" Draco asked, as though baiting an answer.

"I'll have to ask Dumbledore about it, but I do know of a place."

"Harry, you have to be joking," Ron said quietly.

"Not at all," Harry replied, "It's the only way, the only safe place. We were just saying so the other night."

"Where is this place?" Draco asked warily.

"I'll tell you when I've spoken with Dumbledore," Harry said. "What'd that Lestrange woman do to me anyway?"

"Left a gash down your back, two more inches to the right and she'd have severed your spine," Ginny informed him.

"I guess that explains why I tripped on the steps," Harry chuckled, and Malfoy's lips curled slightly in the corners.

"It's not funny," Ginny cried, "you could have died!"

"It's all right, Gin, I'm sorry. But I didn't die. I'm here." Harry soothed her and tried to lift an arm to drape around her shoulders, but found a sudden return of the pain in his back prevented him.

"Yeah, you're alive, but you're going to be stuck in here for a while," Hermione said. "We'll be bringing your schoolwork to you for a few weeks. We'll take notes for you and help you study. But you're going to have to stay in bed almost until exam time."

"Won't that be fun," Harry complained.

"Better for me, though," Malfoy sneered, "At least I won't have to put up with you in class for a while. It was almost worth saving your sorry arse, just for that."

Harry stared at Malfoy, and though he knew the words should have made him angry, he couldn't help the rumbling sensation forming in his chest. He finally broke out into a chuckle, and soon he was outright laughing. Suddenly, Malfoy was laughing too.

"What is so funny?!" Ron demanded.

"He saved my life just so he wouldn't have to see me in class!" Harry gasped. "He could have just left me there, and would never have to see me again!"

"Between double bonding with Malfoy and getting hit with that curse, I think your brain's been addled!" Ron exclaimed.

That night, Harry lay awake, conversing with Ginny through their bond.

'Where was Dumbledore this afternoon?' Harry asked.

_He was summoned by the Wizengamot. He was in London at the Ministry._

'What for?'

_Do you really think he'd tell us? But what do you want to bet that Percy knew he'd be away from the school today?_

'Undoubtedly, what do you think the Death Eaters were after? Surely they didn't delude themselves enough to think they could just take Hogwarts by force, just because Dumbledore was gone?'

_Lemme ask Hermione, hold on…_

There was a long pause during which Harry studied the cathedral ceiling of the infirmary as though all the answers to his every question were written there in a language he was just beginning to know how to read.

_Hermione thinks they were trying to stir up trouble for Dumbledore, saying he is unable to adequately protect the school._

'Why would they want to do that?'

_There have been those finding fault with Dumbledore since the first reports of Voldemort's return. Perhaps they think they can replace him with someone else, like Umbridge last year._

'And they'd replace him with someone loyal to Voldemort, I suppose. Perhaps we'd have Lucius Malfoy for a headmaster next?'

_I don't think Malfoy is going to get into this school again anytime soon. You didn't see what happened when the school's own defenses picked up the fight!_

'What happened?!' Harry asked with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.

_See for yourself,_ Ginny replied, and she opened her memories to him.

The front doors of the Entrance Hall closed as Draco Malfoy dragged Harry by the back of his collar in through them. He realized, given the angle of the view, that Ginny must have been watching from a window above the Great Hall, most likely the library.

The three Death Eaters that had been approaching as Harry was dragged in stopped short when an invisible barrier thrust itself between them and the first step of the castle.

'That explains why the teachers were so bent about getting all the students inside.'

_You haven't seen the best part yet._

The larger of the two Death Eaters on either side of Lucius Malfoy pointed his wand at the doors of the castle and muttered a spell. Harry realized it must have been the Diffindo spell when it rebounded on the caster and it sliced his wand arm off at the elbow.

"You fool!" Malfoy spat, "Next time maybe you can slice your own head off and rid us of your stupidity!"

"What happened?" gasped the injured Death Eater as he grasped the stump of his arm.

"The defenses have been activated because all the students are inside. We're too late. But no matter," Malfoy drawled unconcernedly. "We've accomplished what we came for."

Ginny's gaze shifted to a broader view, and further away from the castle, the dementors were in full retreat and the other Death Eaters were battling against twice their number in members of The Order of the Phoenix. Many Death Eaters were captured, but Harry knew better than to think it would keep them from rejoining Voldemort's ranks all too soon. Others were pushed back to the edge of the forest or onto the road into Hogsmeade and disapperated there.

Harry blinked back tears as he saw the bodies of a few Order members sprawled lifelessly on the ground. Tonks was limping back toward the castle, searching for something. She stopped at the prone form of Remus Lupin and with a shaky hand pointed her wand at his back. A brief flash of light, and Remus began to pull himself up as well. Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Tonks and Remus moved from body to body. Some arose as the "Ennervate" spell was cast. Others did not. One who did not was Severus Snape.

'Is…is he dead?' Harry asked Ginny. He was already aware that there was no one else in the infirmary with him.

_They took him to St. Mungo's. I don't know what happened to him. You can see from the memory I showed you that I was too far away to tell, and Dumbledore wouldn't say._

'Wow…'

_He did say, though, that if any of the Death Eaters or dementors had managed entry into the castle, the armory would have taken care of them._

'You mean all those suits of armor that line the walls?'

_Exactly._

'Did he say anything else?'

_No, you know Dumbledore, information is given on a need to know basis only. Anyway, how are you feeling?_

'Fine. Ready to get out of here, if only this throbbing in my back would stop. It's more irritating than anything.'

_Oh Harry, you better just stay there. _

'I haven't got much choice, have I?'

_You sure don't. If you try to leave too soon, I'll thump you myself just to give you a reason to go back._

Harry's next thoughts were not formed into words, but Ginny got the general message. He missed her, and Ron and Hermione, and their evenings by the fire in Gryffindor Tower.

_Will you tell on me if I come down to see you?_

'Course not, but you really shouldn't.' Inspite of himself, though, Harry knew he would welcome any opportunity to see her.

_Can I use your cloak?_

'Uh…sure…'

_I'll be there soon. You don't think Hermione will tell, do you? _

Harry's mind followed Ginny's progress as she snuck up to the sixth year boys' dorm, tiptoed past a snoring Ron, and rummaged in Harry's trunk for the cloak. He reminded her to bring the map and check it before leaving the tower. As she snuck out through the portrait whole and down the steps toward the hospital wing, he prayed to whoever was listening that she would not get caught. Relief finally washed over him when he heard her quiet footsteps softly padding across the floor of the infirmary. She slipped in through the curtains around his bed and Harry felt her sit on the end of his bed before she finally removed the cloak from her head.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Happy Birthday," he returned.

"Yeah, I guess it is at that, isn't it."

"You're sixteen today."

"Hmm, that's true."

They fell silent, just looking at one another. It occurred to Harry that the conversations they had through the Ptolemy bond were far more in depth than the spoken ones.

"Well, now that you're here, what should we do?"

"Sleep, I think. What else? It is, after all, two o'clock in the morning and I, at least, have classes to attend come sunrise."

"All right. Have you your wand?"

"Mmm Hmm. Why?"

"To make this bed a bit larger. Don't worry," he said at her shocked expression, "I'm too injured to take advantage of you."

"It's not that," she giggled. "Won't Pomfrey notice?"

"Nah, not if you place an imperterbable charm on the hangings first."

Ginny smiled and pulled out her wand. She performed the spells with an ease and accuracy Harry had not seen in her before. She noticed his curious expression and grinned at him. "It's always easier to do magic when your heart is in it. If someone makes you do something you don't like, it's easier to be sloppy. But when you're doing something fun…"

"Well, that explains Fred and George!"

Ginny laughed happily, then clasped a hand to her mouth.

"S'ok," Harry said, smiling, "Imperterbable, remember?"

"Right, sorry," Ginny muttered, but smiled as she climbed onto the enlarged bed to the left of Harry and lay her head on the pillow. "Night, Harry," she said softly as her eyes began to close. "See you at the fountain."

"Night, Ginny, I love you."

"Where is she?" Ron shrieked from the corridor, and Harry sat bolt upright. He hadn't even considered how Ron would react to Ginny's staying with him through the night. The doors to the infirmary slammed open and Ron came in red faced and angry.

"Harry James Potter, where is my sister?" Ron fumed.

Harry looked around. The bed was back to its normal size and Ginny was no where nearby. The bewilderment he felt must have shown on his face because Ron cried out suddenly, "She _was_ here, then! I knew it!" and he started to laugh hysterically.

Thinking his best mate had finally gone mad, Harry stared at Ron, unable to speak a word.

"I see you're feeling better," Ron said when he had regained his composure.

"Yeah," said Harry, again feeling more bewildered than ever. All he could remember from last night was Ginny falling asleep on his pillow, then the gentle cradling of the golden light in their shared dream. He touched the spot on his back where the curse had cut him and found there was no pain. He pulled the bandage off unceremoniously, and jabbed several times at the area that had received the wound before realizing fully that there was no longer a wound there.

"What the devil happened in here last night?" Ron asked, suddenly seeming serious again.

"Nothing, really. Ginny was here, yes, but she just fell asleep. I swear. She came down to see me because…" There was no way Harry was going to admit to Ron that he had been lonely. "Well, anyway…" he continued, clearing his throat, "She came down, and she just lay here and slept. But I swear, I didn't touch her!"

Ron gawked at Harry a moment, and Harry thought for sure he was sunk now. But more than that, he was starting to feel as if Ron had no idea what he was talking about.

"Ginny slept here all night?" Ron asked.

"Um…"

"Here…with you…"

"Um…yeah.... Where is she now?"

"She's at breakfast with Hermione. I suspected she had come down here last night, but I had no idea she stayed the whole time. I was just trying to scare you when I came in. I guess it worked."

"I'd say it did," Harry said, clutching his chest where his heart was still beating a bit too fast. "So…are you chuffed at me?"

"I just wanted to know what she meant when she said your bond with her healed you. I guess she meant it literally. I'll have to kill you now, though," Ron sighed heavily as he drew out his wand.

Harry inched away from him on the bed, and Ron chuckled. "Just kidding, Harry. Come on, let's go to breakfast. I think a certain Slytherin will simply be overjoyed to see you there. It was Harry's turn to laugh. Ron stepped out and pulled the hangings closed, and Harry dressed quickly. Then the two of them walked out of the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey stopped them at the door, but a quick examination revealed Harry truly had been healed completely. As they stepped through the doors of the Great Hall, Ginny smiled and stood, and Hermione gawked in awe. Harry caught Malfoy's eye for just a moment, and the Slytherin dropped his fork, food still on it, mouth still open to receive the bite. Harry grinned sloppily and strode over to the Gryffindor table. As usual, all eyes followed his progress to his seat, but the silence was still unnerving. As Harry sat, he thought he caught a wink from the headmaster, but the next moment the Professor was deeply engaged in conversation with Professor McGonagall. Professor Snape's seat was noticeably empty, and Harry realized for the first time that he actually missed seeing the old bat. Hogwarts just wasn't the same without him, and Harry truly hoped the Potions Master would be able to return to his place there soon. Alarmed at his own thoughts, Harry began filling his plate quickly, as he was suddenly ravenous, and tucked into his breakfast eagerly. He had just finished a second helping of bacon when the all too familiar drawl of Draco Malfoy returned his thoughts to the injury he should still have been nursing.

"What _are_ you doing here, Potter? Shouldn't you be recouperating in the infirmary still?"

"I'm all better," Harry said simply.

"Really, then I suppose you're up to the game tomorrow? You haven't forgotten about quidditch, have you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Of course I haven't," Harry lied. He really hadn't thought about Quidditch since the dementors first showed up the day before. "Had any news, have you, about your Head of House? Only, he seems to have gone missing."

Malfoy paled a bit, turned his head to glance at the teachers' table, and returned his attention to Harry. "I…I didn't know he was gone... Do you know something about it?" he whispered.

"St. Mungo's, that's all I know," Harry whispered back, his eyes on the floor.

Malfoy nodded and moved away.

"You know," Ron said as he watched the Slytherin's retreating form, "he's no fun anymore. He's almost…almost nice…when he comes around." Harry, Hermione and Ginny all stared at Ron as though a horn had sprouted out of the top of his head. "What?" Ron shrugged. "It's true, isn't it? He never has anything truly nasty to say anymore."

"That's OK by me," Hermione said. "Come to think of it, though, he hasn't even called me a mudblood in weeks."

"Must be all the hexing, Harry," Ron decided. "You're starting to addle _his_ brain."

"Whose brains are addled?" Luna said with a smile as she sat down beside Neville.

"Malfoy's" Neville informed her.

"Oh, his brains have always been addled," she said. "All the Malfoys have been insane since their manor was cursed by a banshee three hundred years ago."

Hermione rolled her eyes, Ron tried to conceal his laughter behind a huge bite of pork sausage and Harry's eyes twinkled behind his glasses as he shook with silent laughter. "You know," Harry said lightly, "she just might be right." None of them noticed Parvati trying hard not to grin as she finished her breakfast and quickly left the Hall.

As Harry, Ron and Hermione descended into the dungeons after breakfast it was with a measure of unease that they contemplated who might have been asked to fill in for Snape. There had never been a substitute in this class before. Harry pushed the door open and let Ron and Hermione enter first.

"Come on, what's the hold up?" sneered Malfoy as he pushed his way past the trio of friends.

"Oh, we were just holding the door open for you, Prince Malfoy," Harry shot back at him. "We wouldn't want you to break a nail on the way through."

"As grateful as I am for your concern, Potter, next time you might try getting your three mudblood stained bodies off the threshold as well."

Harry whipped out his wand and pointed it at the Slytherin in front of him. "Don't think I won't hex you for that just because we're here in the dungeons. Snape isn't here to save you this time!"

Malfoy had the decency to look sufficiently alarmed at the prospect of what Harry might do, but the expression vanished as quickly as it had come as the blonde's eyes fixed on a point just behind Harry's left shoulder. "Professor Snape isn't here, that's true, but I don't suppose you'd go through with it in front of the Headmaster, would you?"

Harry whirled around and just caught the last vestiges of a smile as the Headmaster donned a disapproving look that seemed to pierce him with a silent reprimand. Harry pocketed his wand and quickly found his seat without another word.

"Good morning, class," Dumbledore addressed the room in general. "In the absence of our most proficient potions master, it seems I have the rare but welcome opportunity of instructing you myself. I believe you were studying the Morphus Draft. Can any of you tell me the proper result of consuming a correctly brewed dose of this draft?"

To no one's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air, but was closely followed by Malfoy's. "Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore addressed him.

"The Morphus Draft allows the drinker to temporarily take on the form of another, similar to a Metamorphmagus. It differs from Polyjuice in that it lasts for three to five hours depending upon the dosage and the magical ability of the drinker. Also, the drinker is free to transform between one appearance and another at will until the draft's effects wear off." Draco wore a smug expression as he finished his description and glanced momentarily at Hermione, gloating that he had been called upon where she had not. Harry could see Hermione's lips tighten and draw downward into a thin frown, but she otherwise made no indication that she was at all concerned.

"That is correct, Mr. Malfoy, five points to Slytherin," Dumbledore rewarded him. "Now, who can tell me the most important step to remember when making the draft?"

Again, Hermione's hand went up, along with that of Blaise Zabini, and to everyone's surprise, Ron's as well. "Mr. Weasley?"

"The temperature of the fire under the maker's cauldron has to maintain a steady 240 degrees. If it varies by as much as five degrees in either direction, the draft will either be scalded or will not mix properly," Ron responded. Harry smiled proudly, but secretly wondered if he'd been cribbing off of Hermione's outspread notes.

"Very good, Mr. Weasley, five points to Gryffindor as well," the Headmaster accorded him, and Ron beamed from red-tipped ear to red-tipped ear.

As the lesson came to an end and the students were packing in their belongings to head to their next classes, Harry leaned in to Ron to ask about the answer he'd given, but Malfoy got there first.

"Did your girlfriend tell you to say all that, or did you just read it off her notes? 'Cause anyone knows you didn't come up with that all by yourself!"

"Did you see me reading anything?" Ron greeted the challenge with an angry glare. "Is it so surprising that I know a thing or two about a Morphus Draft?"

"Well, yes, now that you mention it, it is," Malfoy said.

"Come on, Ron, let's just go," Harry cut in. "Who gives a hoot what Malfoy thinks you know and don't know, anyway?" But secretly, Harry wondered if Malfoy was at least partly right. Ron had never supplied such a precise answer in a potions class before. But then, perhaps it was easier to think without the old bat breathing down their necks.

Just as Harry was shouldering his book-bag and stepping toward the door, Professor Dumbledore called him back for a moment.

"Yes, Professor?" Harry responded.

"I am a bit surprised to see you up and about this morning, Harry. Might I ask about the sudden change in your physical health?"

"I really can't explain it, sir. When I fell asleep in the hospital wing, I was injured, and when I woke up, it was gone, as though it had never been there at all." Now that Harry was dwelling on it, it seemed oddly as though the whole of the events of the previous day had been nothing more than a dreadful nightmare. If it were not for the glaring absence of the Potions Master, and Dumbledore's presence in the dungeons, Harry might have been able to convince himself that this was exactly what it had been.

"I see. One more question, though. Was there anyone else in the hospital wing with you last night?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at Harry's startled expression and elaborated unnecessarily when Harry paused too long. "Any visitors, perhaps, since all other injuries were treated on site or taken to St. Mungo's…"

"Sir…" Harry tried to start, but the words to describe his experience eluded him, and he had no wish to incriminate Ginny. "I…I can't say. Perhaps someone came while I was sleeping…I really can't say…" It was a largely truthful answer, though it left plenty of room for ambiguity.

"Hmm," the Headmaster seemed to contemplate Harry's brief statements as though Harry had opened a book to him, and Harry wondered afresh whether the Headmaster could read his mind so easily.

"Well, off you go, Harry," Dumbledore finally said, "I believe you have a class to teach soon."

"Yes sir, I do."

When Harry entered Tonks' classroom to fulfill his assistant teaching assignment, she glared at him as though he were Voldemort himself.

"What on earth do you think you're doing, getting out of bed with your injuries?" she instantly demanded. "You won't fool me with your macho, too-tough-to-be-sick act!"

"I'm not sick," Harry replied, startled by the ferocity of Tonks' previously dormant mothering instincts, and concerned that his entire day was going to be laced with questions about his wellbeing, "honest, I'm not. See for yourself!" He lifted his shirt up a bit in back to reveal his clean, unmarred skin.

"But…but how? That's just impossible!" Tonks said as she examined his back more carefully than anyone else had done. "There isn't even a scar! And it doesn't hurt at all?"

"Not a twinge."

"Unbelievable…." A few students were filtering in now, and Harry's face reddened when a few of the girls snickered at seeing his bare back. He pulled his shirt quickly down and shoved the ends of it into his trousers. He adjusted his robes over the top as he approached the front of the classroom and set his books and parchments on the front desk.

"Good morning class," Harry began.

There were a few more snickers as the classroom answered, but Harry did his best to ignore them. The lesson progressed without any further incident, and Harry was beginning to feel more relaxed when it was time to head for Gryffindor Tower for his morning break.

Upon entering the common room, Harry immediately scanned the seats for Ginny's dark red hair and pale freckled face, but could not see her. 'Ginny?' he ventured though their bond.

_Yeah Harry?_

'Where are you?'

_The library, where else would I be?_

Harry immediately felt like an idiot for not having considered that already, and knew he probably shouldn't bother her when she was studying for her owls, but he really needed to see her, now, and ask her if she knew why he'd been healed.

'Can you meet me in the Room of Requirement? Only, I need to see you.'

_Sure Harry, I'll be right there. And don't be silly. Having you around never bothers me._

Harry smiled wistfully as he stepped right back out of the portrait hole just a moment after having stepped in, ignoring the quizzical looks of the students scattered around the room, most of whom had turned to see him enter in the first place, and then just stand there, staring into space as though seeing something they could not. He nearly sprinted down the corridor toward the library, amusing himself, and Ginny, with the conversations they'd be having now that he'd left. 'I tell you he's gone loony," he could almost hear Seamus say to Dean, and of course Neville would jump all over him for using the word "loony." He could feel Ginny's silent laughter sending rivulets of joy through his body, and he quickened his pace a bit, anxious to be in her presence sooner. He ducked behind the a statue when he caught a glimpse of Filch's tailcoat sweeping out in front of him, the rest about to appear around a bend in the corridor. He knew he was entirely within his bounds to walk about the school mid morning, but he had no desire to allow Filch's accusatory questioning foul up the perfectly happy mood that was swelling inside him with each step that brought him closer to his Ginny. His Ginny…it seemed so natural to say it that way, as though she had always been his…and he could kick himself for having not noticed sooner that she really had always been his, waiting for him to realize it.

He burst through the door of their former D.A. room and caught Ginny up in a sweeping embrace as soon as his arms could grasp hold of her. She stiffened with surprise at first, but then relaxed as he brought his lips down upon hers and enjoyed a long, sweet kiss. The original purpose of his need to see her was momentarily swallowed up in the bliss of being there with her, and it was several moments before he could answer her when she asked him whether he'd invited her here just to snog, or for some other reason. His fingers laced in her hair as he planted several gentle kisses on the base of her neck before he finally spoke aloud.

"Ginny," he breathed, "what's happening between us? I know it was you that healed me. I just don't know how."

"I don't know either, Harry, but that is what happened. Do you think it's part of the bond? Maybe we should go find that book of Hermione's in the library and read about it a bit more?"

"It could be…" he trailed off with a grin at the giggle that escaped her lips when he ran his fingers down her back and rested his hands at her waist. He pulled her closer and their lips connected again, and he gently eased her down onto the sofa that was suddenly waiting just behind them. A warm fire sprang to life in a grate that abruptly appeared, and the lights faded until there was only the light from the fire casting a flickering glow over the two of them.

"Mmm, how very romantic…" she smiled. "Everywhere else in the castle it's mid morning, but in here it seems as though it's just after dusk.

"Mmm…" Harry agreed as he nuzzled her neck again, breathing in the aroma of strawberries and cream mixed with something that was distinctly Ginny. He leaned his head against her shoulder…

_There was the fountain again, pure crystalline water falling gracefully from the unicorn's horn, splashing out of the basin and leaving tiny dark circles on the stones below his feet. She was there too, of course, smiling at him from her seat on the edge of the fountain, having anticipated his coming. The breeze was crisp and refreshing as it whistled through the trees overhead… _


	17. The Last of Dumbledore's Army

**Chapter Seventeen: The Last of Dumbledore's Army**

"Harry…Harry wake up!"

"Hmm?" Harry mumbled groggily.

"Harry get up! We've been in here too long. We fell asleep. Lunch is sure to be over by now."

"Ugh, and I'm famished too."

"So am I, but I'll just be grateful if we haven't missed any classes!"

"Oh no, I'm so sorry Ginny. If you've missed anything important, I'll try and help you catch up. I'm sure Hermione's notes from last year can help too."

"I wonder how long we've been sleeping."

"Who knows, but I'll tell you one thing! I sure wish I could always wake up next to you like this!"

"Oh Harry! Honestly! Get up, will you?"

"All right, all right, I'm coming." He looked around the room as he lifted himself off the sofa. The fire was dying away and the windows were dark. 'I need a clock!' he thought, and one appeared above the mantle. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"I have some good news and some bad news, which do you want first?"

"Bad, so the good can cheer me up afterward."

"The bad news is, we've missed all our afternoon classes, and quidditch practice."

"Oh crud!" Ginny sat down on the sofa, covered her face with her hands, and then peered up at the clock through her fingers just to verify Harry's announcement. "The good news?"

"We can still eat. It's dinner time."

"Yes, that definitely makes me feel better," she responded sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, Gin. I didn't mean to get us in so much trouble."

"The biggest trouble will start when Ron finds out where we've been all this time!"

"Oh…" Harry's heart began beating wildly and his palms began to sweat. "He's going to kill me!"

"Not if McGonagall gets there first. You've missed Transfiguration."

"Well, nothing to do now but go and face the music, I guess, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I just wish there were a mirror in here. Don't want to go down looking like…well, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, oh, look, the room has just given us one." Harry pointed at the wall behind Ginny's back.

"Thank goodness. Now, how about a hair brush!" she said as she examined herself carefully in the mirror. A small table with a brush, comb, and some barrettes appeared under the mirror. "If only it were so easy to find this stuff in my dorm!" Ginny commented as she ran the brush through her hair. When they had both fixed their appearances to their satisfaction, they headed down to the Great Hall hand in hand. Harry's dread grew with every step, wondering what his friends and teachers would have to say about his absence. If it hadn't been for everyone's fawning over his healed injuries, he could have claimed recuperation time. But he had told Tonks there was no longer any pain. He searched frantically in his mind for an excuse, any excuse for his absence, but the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't keep his mind off where he had actually been all afternoon, and a smile crept unbidden onto his face.

"Quit looking so happy!" Ginny warned.

"I'm trying, but I can't help it!"

"I know, neither can I!"

They stopped just outside the doors of the Great Hall and Harry turned to look at Ginny. Her eyes sparkled like dew on a summer's morning, and he leaned in for one last kiss before they had to face the crowd within.

"Oi, whatcha doin' to my sister?" Ron was standing with the door halfway open staring out at them.

"Hey Ron," Harry said distractedly, and knew he was sunk. He kept his eyes on Ginny a moment longer before turning to face his friend. He opened his mouth to say whatever might come to mind first, but nothing came out. He closed it again just as Hermione stepped through the doors and eyed them both suspiciously.

"And just where have you two been all afternoon?" she asked.

"Um…" Harry said.

"Well…" Ginny said at the same time.

Harry scratched the back of his leg with his foot, and Ginny scanned both Ron and Hermione's faces carefully before she said, "We fell asleep."

Ron looked at Ginny for a long time, as though analyzing her thoroughly, then looked Harry in the eye and asked, "Just sleeping?"

Harry's throat constricted, his eyes burned, there was no getting out of this. He said nothing, but it seemed no words were needed to get the message across, clear as day.

"Oh Merlin," Hermione breathed, and pulled Ginny away and down the corridor into an empty classroom, leaving Harry to fend for himself with a very angry looking Ron.

"Ron, I…"

"You what?" Ron said flatly. "You're sorry? You better not be!"

"No…no, I mean, I'm sorry if you're mad, but I'm not sorry…I mean…Oh Merlin," he finally echoed Hermione.

"You missed McGonagall's introduction to large mammal transfigurations, and some kind of nasty creature called an Occamy in Care of Magical Creatures. Looked like it was half bird, half lizard! Not to mention Quidditch Practice…" Ron seemed to be avoiding the topic at hand now, and Harry was all for that, but Ron was also leading him down the corridor, past the room where Hermione and Ginny seemed to be deep in conversation, and into the adjoining classroom. As soon as they had entered, Ron looked directly at Harry with an expression of utmost sincerity.

"I'm only going to say this once, Harry," he began, and Harry feared the worst. "You're the best friend I've ever had, you and Hermione, but I swear, if you do anything to hurt my little sister, I will personally feed you to Norbert, and I'm sure Charlie would help me arrange it to look like an accident!"

"Ron, I swear, I'm not going to hurt her!" Harry said, with every measure of honesty. "Ginny means more to me than anything else in my world. I would do anything to make her happy."

Ron searched Harry's face carefully, and seeming satisfied with what he saw, spoke again. "All right, I believe you, but…"

"What is it, Ron?"

"You never had anyone tell you…I mean, you were only a baby when your parents died, so how could they? It's just…" Ron looked exceptionally nervous, as though he'd been handed a test to take before the material had been handled in class. "You do know, don't you, that Ginny could…you know…get…" Harry suddenly figured out where Ron was going with this.

"OK Ron, you can stop right there! All I can say is, you have nothing to worry about, OK? I know all about all of that, believe it or not. There are other sources besides parents, and…we _didn't_…"

"You didn't?"

"No!…I mean…we did plenty of kissing and all…but…"

"Oh…" Ron looked thoroughly relieved, then suddenly extremely embarrassed. "We better go save Ginny from Hermione then! She's not likely to stop talking long enough to let Ginny tell her that."

Harry's eyes got wide and he dashed for the door. He threw himself into the adjacent room just in time to hear Hermione say the word "protection".

"Hermione…" Harry said, but she turned on him and said, "It's just as well you hear it too, Harry, you can't go around doing that sort of thing while we're still in school!"

"Hermione…_we didn't!_"

"And you certainly need to use…_what_?" Her face began to redden as she digested what Harry had said, but she pulled her composure together quickly. "Oh…well that's good at least. But McGonagall's going to be furious!"

"Yes, I'm sure she is. But for now, would it be all right if Ginny and I went in for dinner? We missed lunch already."

"Oh… right…of course…" Hermione looked from Harry to Ron and shrugged. "I guess I owe you both an apology, first, though. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that."

"No apology needed," Harry said. "It's nice to know you both care so much." Harry smiled and took Ginny's hand before leading her toward the open classroom door. "Come on," he said to Ginny, "let's go eat, I'm starving!"

"Are you sure you didn't?" Ron teased, and Harry chuckled lightly, but didn't answer.

Harry had just started on a second helping of mashed potatoes when the next round of reprimands came striding down from the head table.

"Good evening, Professor McGonagall," Harry said pleasantly as he set down his fork. He hoped if he were polite enough, it might stem the tide and he and Ginny might come out of this with fewer injuries to their consciences.

"I would like a word with you and Miss Weasley in my office in five minutes," said the Professor, and she immediately strode away. 'So much for small talk,' Harry thought.

_Does she know legilimency?_

'I sure hope not, but I better put up my Occlumency barrier just the same.'

Four minutes and ten seconds later, Harry and Ginny entered Professor McGonagall's office and the first thing Harry noticed was the concerned, almost motherly look on the teacher's face.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, thank you for joining me here tonight. I realize you have a D.A. meeting to attend later, but under the circumstances…"

"Professor? What circumstances are those?" Harry hoped it was something other than what he'd thought it was, but also dreaded whatever else it could be.

"I assumed you knew already…that is, I expected Miss Granger would have informed you, but," there was a brief flicker of…could that have been curiosity… on the professor's face, but it vanished and was replaced by the concerned expression again almost instantly. "Harry…"

'She's using my first name!' he thought in mild confusion.

"There have been some…accusations…made…at the Ministry," McGonagall began. Harry's full attention was immediately on his transfiguration teacher.

"What kind of accusations?" he asked.

"Minister Weasley…among others…has determined that an investigation into the safety of this school is in order after yesterday's events. Though no students were harmed, one teacher and several aurors, along with a few members of the Order, were taken to St. Mungo's. Only one died.

"Not Snape…" Harry breathed, fearing the worst.

"No, thankfully Severus is going to be all right in a few weeks. But Kingsley Shacklebolt was hit with the Killing Curse."

"No…" Harry sat in a chair in front of McGonagall's desk, leaned his elbows on her desk top and rested his head in his palms, his fingers running through his hair. Ginny sat down next to him and rested a hand on his knee, knowing his thoughts without need of the bond.

"It's not your fault, Harry."

"Miss Weasley is correct, it is not anyone's fault. Only Voldemort and his Death Eaters hold the blame for Kingsley's death."

"But the Order has lost their Ministry connection in the Auror department!" Harry mused.

"Tonks will be our connection from now on, but do keep in mind that this is information you are not to share!" McGonagall said.

"Then…she won't be able to teach…"

"This is true, but after all these years of losing Defense teachers, I believe we have learned how to find a decent replacement. In fact, this is part of why I've asked you to come here tonight."

"I'm sorry?" Harry could not fathom what he might have to do with their selection of yet another Defense teacher, unless….

"Mr. Potter, Professor Dumbledore has asked me to have you formally consider becoming the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. You have, already, sufficient knowledge of the subject to be able to achieve at least an E on your Newt level test, and I would be surprised if you achieved anything less than the same grade you had on your OWL test." Harry couldn't help blushing at the compliment.

"However," the professor continued, "There is another matter for us to discuss."

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"For the next short while, until the ministry has concluded its investigation, I must ask you to refrain from holding any more meetings of Dumbledore's Army."

"Oh?" Harry wondered if the Ministry still had the same opinion they'd had the previous year about the purpose of the D.A.

"It seems," said McGonagall with an air of slight exasperation, "that Dolores Umbridge has had some influence upon our new Minister."

"Ah…I see. We'll hold off until you notify us again. But…"

"I imagine you are concerned about the need to continue training the students?" McGonagall asked wisely.

"Yes, very much so! If there was ever a time when such training was needed, I'd say this would be it."

"I would have to agree. Therefore, I believe we have come up with a satisfactory solution." Harry listened apprehensively, wondering if he was going to like this solution. McGonagall brought out a shiny, odd looking pendant which Harry remembered seeing around Hermione's neck during their third year, the year he'd met his godfather, Sirius Black.

"If you think you can handle the strain of extra hours added to your day, we would like you to attend the Defense classes of all seven grade levels for the remainder of the term. With your other classes and quidditch practices, you'll need this to be able to do it. My greatest concern is the level of fatigue you'll have to endure for an undefined amount of time."

"I see," Harry repeated, feeling very much at a loss for words.

"Consider your decision carefully, Harry. What we are asking you to do requires a great deal of stress management. It will also require you to pass your Newt level Defense exam come this Friday, since the ministry requires teachers in this subject to have at least an E on a Newt to be allowed to have this assignment."

"But…I've been teaching with Tonks all this time without that. Is this a new requirement?"

"You have been assisting, technically. Now we are asking you to be the main teacher. These last two months of class will qualify as your teacher's training time, which is a minimum of two months of practical experience in all seven levels of the class."

"So…even when the Ministry's investigation is done, you'll need me to continue teaching…till the end of the term?"

"That is correct, Harry. Next fall, we will create a more favorable schedule for you to allow you to attend all your classes as well as teach Defense without the aide of a time turner, but I'm afraid it is far too late in the term now to rearrange so many classes which include so many other students."

"Of course. Can I have some time to think this over?"

"I did not expect to allow you to answer me right away. Think on it, sleep on it, and come to me tomorrow. I wish I could give you more time, but Friday is only a week away, and the next time Professor Marchbanks will be available to test you will be at the end of the term when all the seventh year students are tested. This, of course, would be much too late to allow you two months practical experience."

"Yes, I see. Is that everything, Professor?"

"Almost," she said with a wry sort of smile. "I am curious as to what kept the two of you from your classes this afternoon." Something about Professor McGonagall's demeanor told Harry that she would not need Legilimency to know if he was lying.

"We were…um…" Harry started, but had no idea how to continue. Thankfully, Ginny took over from there.

"Professor, we're awfully sorry. I've been studying so much, what with OWLs and all, and Harry here had that injury yesterday, which, incredibly, did heal, but I think it made him rather tired as well. Anyway, we met up for our mid-morning break, and at some point we must have both fallen asleep because the next thing we knew it was time for dinner." Ginny spoke in a rush, trying to get all the words out before any more misconceptions got in the way.

"I see," said the professor, one eyebrow raised as she considered Ginny's statements carefully. "And where were you both when you…fell asleep?"

"Um…" Ginny said, and Harry knew she was concerned that if she told the truth they'd be in some trouble, but to say they'd been in Gryffindor tower or the Library would have been certain disaster since it would be easily proven untrue.

"We were in the Room of Requirement," Harry supplied, causing Ginny to sigh and the professor to train her searching gaze upon him once more. "It's quieter there, easier to study…" he tried to justify.

"Yes, and easier to…fall asleep…I daresay."

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry and Ginny replied in unison.

"You must understand, I cannot allow this discrepancy to go entirely overlooked. There were few, at least among the Gryffindor students, who did not notice your absence, and they will not take well to your teaching them if we allow you to be above the rules, Mr. Potter." Harry frowned, reminded of all the times Snape had accused him of being so arrogant as to think himself beyond reproach, and he wasn't sure if perhaps it had been McGonagall who'd gone to St. Mungo's and this was actually Snape under the influence of a Morphus Draft.

"I think a couple of evenings of detention this week should be sufficient punishment for you both," McGonagall concluded. "Please see me here at precisely seven o'clock tomorrow to serve your detentions."

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry and Ginny both said again, more quietly this time.

"Miss Weasley can use the time to catch up on the material she missed in class this afternoon," the professor added, "and you, Mr. Potter, can use your detention to prepare for the exam I hope you'll be taking next Friday?"

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, and Ginny smiled, relieved that their Head of House did not seem to be as angry as Hermione and Ron had been.

"You may go," McGonagall dismissed them, but Harry paused a moment.

"Can the D.A. still meet tonight, one last time? Only, I had an exercise I wanted to use before we broke off at the end of term."

"One more evening shouldn't hurt anything. The Ministry's investigation won't begin until Monday. What sort of exercise did you have in mind?" the professor responded.

"Sort of a test, I would like to use the Great Hall as well, if that's all right?"

McGonagall studied Harry for a few brief moments and finally said, "Of course. Shall I notify the Headmaster?"

"Sure…"

"Very well, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, you may go," Harry opened the door and Ginny stepped out. Harry was about to follow when Professor McGonagall added quietly, "And do try to win for us tomorrow, Potter. I do so enjoy having this trophy in my office!" Harry grinned happily and nodded as he stepped out of the office.

They headed for the D.A. rooms then, since it was now time for that meeting to start.

"I hope everyone won't be too disappointed about the D.A." Harry said as they approached the corridor that led to the three rooms where the others were most likely waiting.

"I expect a few fifth years and seventh years will feel robbed of practical experience for their OWLs and NEWTs, but they'll feel better when they find out you're teaching."

"It's too bad we can't just tell them," Harry said.

"Yes, but they'll get over it when you show up in their classes next week."

"You seem so sure that I'll decide to do that," Harry commented, glancing sidelong at her smiling face. "You do realize this will mean I'll have a lot less time to spend with you for the rest of the term?"

"I know," she said, "but I know you. You always do the right thing."

"Well, I know your opinion, then. I'll miss you dreadfully, though!"

"I'll be at the fountain, every night, at the very least."

Harry stopped in mid stride and turned to her, his hands resting on her shoulders, "Do you know how much I love you?"

"Yes," she responded happily, "I have the rare blessing of knowing exactly how you feel about nearly everything. And you know that I love you just the same, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I'm going to marry you someday, if I am fortunate enough to live that long."

"And I'm going to say yes when you ask."

He gathered her into his arms then and hugged her to him tightly, knowing as he had known for some time now, that if anything got him through his final confrontation with Voldemort, it would be her love for him and his need to stay by her side.

They continued on into the D.A. rooms where Ron was waiting for Ginny, and Neville and Luna already had their class under way. They made the announcement that everyone should assemble into Harry and Hermione's room, and when everyone had settled down, Harry began to give them the news.

"I am very sorry to have to tell you all this, but the time has come to have to stop meeting as Dumbledore's Army." A chorus of disappointed groans and "why's" met him and he had to wait a moment for his explanation to be heard. "Due to the attack on the school yesterday, the ministry will be investigating the school's defenses to ensure that students are safe while in attendance here."

"But Harry," Neville said, "that is exactly the kind of attack that we are preparing for in here. It was because of the D.A. that we were able to hold off the dementor attack until the teachers arrived. Why would it not be good for the Ministry to know that?"

"Don't forget who is at the head of the Ministry right now," Harry reminded, "Not to mention that Dolores Umbridge has had communications with Minister Weasley in recent days. She will have reminded him of the day we were caught last year and of what they thought was the purpose of the D.A. I doubt if he will like our club any more than Fudge did."

"Oh dear," said Luna in a rare moment of lucidity, "I can see why we'd need to disband then. But how will we be able to prepare for future attacks, and for some of us, tests?"

"Plans are being put into place for making Defense classes at all levels more advanced and…well…more like D.A. meetings. I can't tell you everything now, but, the best advice I can give you is that you pay close attention to what you're being taught in Professor Tonks' classes."

The D.A. members looked around at each other, but most seemed slightly dissatisfied. Malfoy stood up then and voiced everyone's complaint when he said, "She's not a bad teacher, and don't get a big head or anything, Potter, but the two hours we spend in here are far more enlightening than a whole week in class!" Harry stared at Malfoy for a long moment, unsure, for the second time tonight, if he was looking at the real person or a perfectly disguised stand in.

"Well," Hermione said with a smile, "at least you don't get hexed from behind when you're in Tonks' class."

Malfoy regarded Hermione coolly, but then the oddest thing that had happened since Malfoy's induction took place. The corners of his mouth turned up just a bit. He was actually smiling at Hermione. "No, I suppose not. But then Potter here doesn't dish out nasty detentions for foul language either."

"Hmm, guess I should have thought of that sooner," Harry mused, "I could have, you know. But hexing you was more fun, anyway."

"And it was good experience, too. Death Eaters aren't likely to wait until you face them to hex you. They'll hit you in the back as surely as they'll catch you from any other angle."

"Are you sure you're Draco Malfoy?" Harry asked, feeling as though he'd stepped into an alternate universe.

"Of course I am, you brainless ninny!"

"Hopeless git," Harry returned.

"Swooning fainter!"

"Bouncing ferret!"

"Golden Boy!" But for the first time in all their years at Hogwarts, they were both smiling at each other as they threw each insult. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were standing with their mouths hanging open, looking from the one to the other, trying to convince themselves that they were seeing it correctly.

"Well then," Harry turned his attention back to the room as a whole. "Let's get on with our last formal meeting as Dumbledore's Army. I would like to find out how much each of you has learned over the course of our meetings. I had intended to save this for the end of term, but…"

"You're giving us a final exam?" Seamus asked incredulously.

"Of sorts, yes," Harry replied and there were quite a few groans around the room. "Not to worry, I am certain you will all enjoy this much more than any other exam you'll take come June. But this room is entirely too small. I think we'll need the Great Hall for this."

"The Great Hall, Harry?" Ron asked, and Harry nodded, but then something occurred to him. "That is if it's all right with you, Malfoy." There was a stunned silence in the room as everyone there registered that Harry Potter had just spoken out of deference to Draco Malfoy.

"My father knows everything by now, or at least suspects," Malfoy answered. "What difference does it make if the rest of Slytherin finds out?" The comment was nonchalant, but Harry could see there was something else stirring in Malfoy's grey eyes, rebellion, perhaps, a need for freedom from the expectations with which he'd always been saddled.

"All right then, Neville and Luna's group, stand in the far corner there." He indicated the far left hand corner with a brief jab of his finger. "Ginny and Ron's group in the other…" he swept his hand toward the far right hand, "and the group that meets with Hermione and me come to the front here." The students separated into their groups, and when the shuffling of feet died down, Harry spoke again. "I want each group to split itself down the middle, even numbers on each side. Leaders, will you do the honors?" Luna, Ginny, and Hermione stepped up to their respective groups and separated them again.

"All right," Harry said then, "I want one half of each group to head down to the Great Hall and wait there for further instructions. Hermione, Luna, and Ginny, go with them please, and kindly move the house tables to the storage room so we will not damage them during our exercise." The three girls nodded to Harry and Ginny winked quickly as they left, half the room following in their wake. Harry blushed slightly at Ginny's wink, and Malfoy, who had caught the silent exchange, raised an eyebrow in Harry's direction.

Ignoring Malfoy as best he could, Harry began instructing the rest of the D.A. "Here's the plan. Your job is to capture as many of the students in the other half of the D.A. as you can. Use only stunning spells and binding spells. The point of this exercise is to keep your head in a fight and capture the enemy."

"So, it's like playing Capture the Flag, Harry?" Dean Thomas asked.

"Capture the what?" Malfoy asked. Harry ignored him and went on.

"Exactly, Dean," Harry explained, "Only the flag is a person. If I'm not mistaken, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall will be in attendance tonight. They will be our 'flags' so to speak. Or, as in Chess, our King Pieces. Our object in stunning and binding the other half of the D.A. is to capture the Professor at the other end of the room, as well as protect the one at our end of the room. Any questions?" Harry looked pointedly at Malfoy.

"Are we going to get a detention if we stun the Headmaster or the Deputy Headmistress?" Neville asked, and Harry turned his gaze on him and laughed.

"No, I don't think so, Neville. It's just an exercise in speed, tenacity, and evasion. I have to go inform the other group. Neville, Ron, and Malfoy," the three of them looked up at Harry as he spoke their names, "I would like you to lead these students down to the Great Hall in five minutes. That should be sufficient. We'll start when I open the doors of the Great Hall." Ron and Malfoy looked at each other for a moment, Malfoy sighed and Ron grunted, but they wasted no words on each other. Harry rolled his eyes and exited the D.A. classroom.

He entered the Great Hall to find that Hermione, Ginny, and Luna had already removed the tables and were sitting on the floor with the rest of the group, waiting for him. Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Tonks were seated behind the head table, watching him as he walked in.

"Professors," Harry addressed them first, "I'm so glad you could join us tonight. I have need of your assistance."

"What can we do to help, Harry?" Tonks asked gleefully.

Harry gave her his most mischievous grin and responded, "Be the bait?"

"Excuse me?" Tonks' smile faltered slightly.

"I would like you and Professor McGonagall to join Hermione's half of the D.A. Professor Dumbledore, if you will, you and I will join the half that will be waiting outside those doors in a couple of minutes."

All three Professors smiled and stood up. Professors McGonagall and Tonks walked over to stand next to Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore placed himself to Harry's left. Harry explained the game to this group as he had done with the others, and then he and the Headmaster exited the Great Hall. A minute later, Ron, Neville and Malfoy descended the stairs into the Entrance Hall followed by around fifty other students. The silence was broken only by their pounding footfalls which echoed off the walls of the corridors. Harry watched in awe as they came, realizing at once that these people were indeed a veritable army, trained and prepared for many a foe. Pride, wonder, and a sense of accomplishment washed over him, and he thought he had never felt so good in all his days at Hogwarts. This, he thought, was a sight to behold, a wonder to witness. All these people had trusted him, believed him, and learned from him, and they were ready and willing to fight for the cause he believed in, even Draco Malfoy, incomprehensible as it once had been. He was overwhelmed with an emotion he could not name, but felt suspiciously like brotherly love, as they came to a halt in front of him and awaited his signal to start. With a single nod of his head, Harry turned to the doors of the Great Hall, placed one hand on each door handle, and suddenly threw them wide open.

Harry stepped into the Great Hall at the head of his little army, Dumbledore's Army, with his wand out, his first spell ready to fly. The others streamed in after him, and the game began.

Voices echoed through the room, shouts of spells and cries of fury. As friend battled friend in what felt like a game, but looked like a melee, stunners caught his beloved battalion one by one, and he began to see it as though the other team were the Death Eaters and his side was the Order. He fired shot after shot, bringing at least one person down with each casting, until he found himself standing across from two of his favorite people in the world, Ginny and Hermione. The imagery of the Death Eater attack melted away and he stood stalk still, waiting for them to strike if they would. Time slowed down for Harry as he watched Hermione bring her wand to the ready and aim it directly at him. He almost didn't hear the word that formed on her lips, and then, as though someone had turned a up a dial on the continuum of time, he sped back into action, ducking just in time to let the stunner sail over his head and crash into the floor behind him. He scrambled away, looking for anyone else to duel against, because he knew one thing for certain now: He could never attack one of his best friends, even just for fun. It was a weakness he knew Voldemort would joyfully exploit if he knew of it, but it simply couldn't be done.

The game continued until Harry, Malfoy, and Seamus Finnegan had surrounded Professor McGonagall with Ron and Neville pinning Tonks against the wall. Having secured the definitive win, the five boys backed away from the Professors, and four of them were smiling gleefully. Harry was not. He had learned a dreadful lesson from this exercise, and as he turned around to survey the Hall, the lesson expanded. Many of his friends, from both teams, were lying in heaps on the floor, and the image burned into the back of his mind and strengthened his resolve to do what he knew he must. He would teach, whatever the expense in time or rest; he would prepare them. They should not fall, not a single one, if he could help it, when the time came for them to face the real enemy. The Professors and Harry's assistant leaders in the D.A. moved about the room to revive the fallen students, who then chatted noisily as they assembled to the front of the Hall, but gradually fell silent in anticipation of Harry's parting words. He felt his throat constrict and his breath catch as he looked into their happy, expectant faces. He found Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna, and Malfoy with his gaze, each in turn, and suddenly he knew what to say.

"There have been friendships and animosities between us. There have been both joyful and painful memories. We have had a short time to meet together to prepare to defend ourselves, and for some of us, just getting here was the hardest part." He let his gaze fall on Malfoy as he continued. "The time has come to put off old rivalries and animosities." He then shifted his gaze to take in the whole group. "We cannot meet as Dumbledore's Army, but we still _are_ Dumbledore's Army. It is up to us to extend the hand of friendship, loyalty, and trust to the rest of the school, to as many as will receive it, answering the Sorting Hat's call for unity, and fortifying the walls of this castle, our greatest protectorate, against the onslaught of our enemy's revenge upon us." Harry paused here, feeling oddly as though the words he spoke were not his own, but meant for his ears more than his mouth. "Voldemort is coming, sooner or later. He will do all he can to destroy Hogwarts. But love," his gaze traveled between Ginny, Hermione, and Ron, "is stronger than fear, friendship," he looked at Malfoy again, and then at Neville, Seamus, and Dean, "is better than servitude, and loyalty," his eyes took in the group together, "is far greater than personal gain. I learned a valuable lesson tonight," Harry finished as tears welled up in his eyes, "I cannot harm my friends. And you are all, every one of you, my friends. I will do all that I can," he pledged, "to never allow our common enemy to harm you either."

Professor Dumbledore, who had been standing behind Harry, placed a fatherly hand on Harry's shoulder and addressed the D.A. "Thank you, to each of you, for the friendship, loyalty, and bravery you have shown by being a part of the D.A. Remember the lessons you have learned, and be prepared. The hour is late. I ask you all to return to your dorms. But as you go, please remember, what Harry has said is true. Love _is_ stronger than fear. Goodnight, my faithful soldiers."

The D.A. members began to filter out, almost more quietly than they had come. No one spoke, and no one glanced around as they went, each consumed by his or her own thoughts. Harry watched them go, just as pensively, and it did not escape his notice that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stopped in the Entrance Hall to wait for him, or that Malfoy and Zabini stood just inside the door, their eyes trained on the floor.

Harry turned to look at Professor Dumbledore, who regarded him meaningfully before asking, "Is there something else you wish to say, Harry?"

"Yes, sir, that is, I'll do it sir. I'll take that test on Friday next and I'll teach. It's the least I can do." Harry looked down at his shoes as he added, "I don't fancy myself a Professor, sir. But I have to help."

"Whatever you may or may not fancy yourself, Harry, you have earned the title of Professor already. What you have done with the D.A. in such a short period of time is nothing short of phenomenal. Their performance tonight was spectacular. The Order could stand to take lessons from them."

"Sir?" Harry looked up into the smiling face of the Headmaster and was surprised somewhat by the sincerity written there. But he thought about how many of them had fallen and he frowned slightly and shook his head. Dumbledore seemed to read the gesture accurately.

"Yes, Harry," the old man said, "many of them fell. But they were battling each other. Had their skills been matched against any average fully grown wizard, they would each have triumphed marvelously! You have done exceptionally well. I dare say, should a band of Death Eaters attack the school and manage to bypass the wards, defenses, and armory, your D.A members would still be able to push them back."

Harry smiled a small smile, a ray of hope suddenly welling up within him. "Thank you, sir."

Dumbledore nodded serenely and said, "Off you go, Harry, your friends are waiting."

"Yes, sir," Harry responded, and he made his way toward the exit. He stopped in front of Malfoy and Zabini when they looked up at him expectantly.

"Did you really mean that?" Malfoy asked.

"Every word," Harry said.

"How do we do it?" Zabini asked.

"Do what?"

"How do we get Slytherin house to stand behind Dumbledore and…and you?" Malfoy clarified.

"Some of them never will," Harry acknowledged, "but many of them already do. Just do what you can. By the way, Malfoy," Harry grinned at his former enemy, "the offer still stands, and Dumbledore approves. Let me know."

Malfoy's eyes grew wide for a moment, then a hint of a smile washed over his pale face. Zabini let out a small, whispered, bewildered, "What?" but Harry ducked quickly out of the Great Hall to avoid giving any explanation. He gathered his friends and they moved silently through the corridors to the Fat Lady's portrait. Ginny gave the password and the four of them climbed through into the common room. They took their usual places by the Gryffindor fire, which despite the number of students milling about, seemed to have been reserved just for them.

Seeing them enter, Neville joined them shortly, and it was he who finally started the conversation.

"That was some exercise you gave the D.A. tonight, Harry," Neville said. Dean and Seamus, having heard the broaching of the topic, wandered over then as well.

"Some speech too," Dean commented. "I almost thought it was Dumbledore talking, except that it was coming out of your mouth, Harry!"

Harry glanced up at his fellow Gryffindors. With so much on his mind, their words seemed to hold a hollow echo for him. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Gosh, Harry, it was amazing!" Neville gushed. "Even Malfoy was listening!"

"I think Malfoy had more reason to listen than anyone else," Harry said. "Friendship is a new concept for him."

Neville laughed, but Ron said, "I still don't know how you can trust him, Harry. After everything he's done to us!"

"What else can I do, Ron? I have to believe that even he can be reached. Look what he's done _for_ us since the day he joined the D.A! He saved my life for starters, and did it in front of his father! I have to admit, if anyone had told me a year ago that Draco Malfoy would ask me for entry into the D.A., I'd have told them they were insane and that by no means would I ever allow Malfoy to join us. But, things change, given time."

"Have you seen him when he's around Parvati? I've never seen him blush so much!" Seamus added. "Brought her flowers, he did, just the other day, and a load o' chocolates last Hogsmeade trip. I'd say it's cupid's arrow's what brought him 'round!"

"Whatever it was," Hermione said thoughtfully, "it's still better having him on our side. He's a formidable opponent, quick and steady in a duel,"

"Though a pair of ice skates'll take him down, eh, Mione?" Ron interjected, and Hermione smiled and laughed.

"That one was priceless!" Ginny agreed.

"As was your bat bogey hex last year," Hermione grinned. "But, it's all in the past, now. What's important is what's coming in the future. One thing is certain, and Harry already pointed it out tonight. Voldemort is still out there, planning, among other things, to attack Hogwarts. The only person he ever feared was Dumbledore. He will want to conquer that fear sooner or later. And that will bring him here."

"That, and I'm here," Harry said, and all eyes turned toward him. "It does seem that he has quite the habit of trying to kill me, doesn't it?" There was also the small matter of the fulfillment of Prophecy, but this was hardly the time to bring that up. "Whatever it is that brings him here, he will come. And we will have to be ready for it. Voldemort's ability to control people and gain power is based upon fear. Our greatest defense against that is friendship. In the end, that is the main reason why I am trusting Draco Malfoy to keep his word. That measure of trust is a show of friendship. And friendship is a kind of love. That's what will defeat Voldemort, if anything can."

"There he goes again," Seamus said, "sounding like Dumbledore."

"Sounds more like Dumbledore every day, doesn't he?" Dean agreed.

"Who better to emulate than Dumbledore?" Hermione asked them, and then added, "Besides, he's right, too."


	18. The Quidditch Final

**Chapter Eighteen: The Quidditch Final**

"Why is it that time speeds by, just when I need more of it and slows down only when there is nothing to do?" Harry asked Ginny the next day at breakfast. Ginny and Harry were both immersed in books as they ate, Ginny studying for her OWLs and Harry for his NEWT level DADA exam.

"You could use the time turner McGonagall gave you," Ginny suggested, "I could use an extra hour here myself!"

"Ugh! That thing nearly killed Hermione when she tried to use it in our third year. If anyone should be able to handle a time turner, it should have been her. I'll wait on that until I absolutely need it."

"Mmm," Ginny nodded, not looking up from the scroll she was writing on. "I suppose you're right. But I really could use some help with this, and there's just no more time! Pre-game Quidditch practice is about to start, and I still haven't finished this essay for Charms!"

"Let me see that," Harry said, looking over her shoulder and examining her work. "Oh, here you go, this is the problem. You've mixed up cheering charms with good cheer charms. You see?" He pointed to a spot on her scroll.

"What's the difference?" Ginny asked, looking up at him irritably.

"Good Cheer charms are the charitable ones; they can only be given to someone else, not to yourself. And they don't necessarily make you feel happy, but they give you something that is likely to cheer you up. Cheering charms make you feel happy, even if you aren't, and you can cast one on yourself."

"Oh," Ginny looked down at her parchment and sighed, "Are you sure I can't borrow that time turner? This is due on Monday, and we have the game tonight, and this isn't the only homework I'm behind on."

"I really don't think the time turner is a good idea, but I'll help you with it at lunch, if you like," Harry offered.

"Do you think if you cast a Good Cheer charm on me, it would write my essay for me? That would certainly make me happy!" Ginny teased, and Harry laughed.

"Come on, Gin, let's get going. We don't want to keep Ron waiting again." The two of them rose from the table that had long since been deserted by the rest of the Gryffindor students and made their way toward Gryffindor Tower to collect their quidditch gear and deposit their books. On their way through they waved to Hermione, who looked up from her book, nodded and smiled, and returned to her reading again. Harry grinned, "Some things never change, do they?"

Ginny chuckled, "Some things are best just the way they are!"

Harry and Ginny arrived at the pre-game practice out of breath, having run to get there on time. Ron eyed them suspiciously, but said nothing and got the team moving on their usual practice drills. He gave Ginny some time to practice seeking, "Just in case the Slytherins get nasty with Harry," and made everyone do extra laps before he let them go for lunch.

At lunch Harry kept his promise to help Ginny with her essay, and Hermione gushed for ten minutes about how great it was to see him being so studious for a change. After lunch they had about three hours to wait before the game. They couldn't fly to release their nerves, since Slytherin was now holding their own pre-game practice, so the four of them joined Neville and Luna under the old beach tree to enjoy the afternoon. Ginny studied Hermione's notes from last year and she and Luna quizzed each other on possible OWL test questions while Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville mused about the coming game and their own NEWTs next year.

"Do you think it'll really be that much harder than the OWLs?" Ron asked. "I mean, it doesn't get much more difficult than that, does it?" Hermione snorted softly and rolled her eyes.

"At least we don't have to take a Divination NEWT," Harry pointed out.

"I've heard Potions is killer, though," Neville fidgeted as he spoke.

"Don't worry, Neville. You'll make it through if we have to take the test for you!" Harry said, "And we won't have to because when Snape's out of the picture, you don't have any problem with Potions, and Snape doesn't give the exam."

"Do you think Snape's OK?" Hermione asked. "Do any of you know what his injuries were?"

"I haven't a clue," Harry replied.

"But whatever it is," Ron added, "let him convalesce a while. We can use the time apart. I really think our relationship with him has improved considerably since he's been gone," he quipped, and they all laughed.

"If only Dumbledore could always teach Potions," Neville added. "I'd even prefer they traded and let Snape be the headmaster if it meant I didn't have to see him except at meals."

Time passed quickly and they soon found that it was time for the teams to assemble. Ron, Harry, and Ginny said goodbye to their friends and rushed off to the changing rooms to prepare for the game.

Ten minutes later the team was assembled around Ron. Harry smiled up at his blazen-haired friend and listened attentively as he started his speech.

"All right team," Ron began brashly, "Without a doubt, Gryffindor has the best quidditch team of all four houses. It's up to us to prove that today. We knocked Hufflepuff out of the sky with a ninety point lead before Harry caught the snitch. We gave Ravenclaw a fierce run for their money and let Chang know what a real seeker can do. And the game against Slytherin, well, if their beaters can figure out who to aim at today, that'll be a vast improvement over their last performance. How they skunked Ravenclaw last month is beyond me!"

"Cheated, is my guess," Dearborn suggested, and everyone except Harry laughed. Harry remembered why Slytherin had won. It was quite simple. Malfoy, when not preoccupied with taunting Harry, was actually rather quick and fierce on his Nimbus 2001. With the old rivalry between them reduced to nothing more than their matched desires to win the Quidditch Cup, Harry was unsure just what kind of opponent he'd be facing today. Always before, it seemed, Malfoy had allowed Harry the win out of distraction. Now, there was no reason to expect the same.

"Don't underestimate them," Harry said, giving voice to his concern. "Don't let our record against them make you go easy on yourselves."

"Harry's right," Ron agreed. "Never let the enemy get the advantage by expecting less than their best performance. Still, we've got Harry, and Harry _always_ catches the snitch, don't you Harry." Harry thought ruefully of the snitch he'd once lost to Cedric Diggory when the Dementors showed up on the field. First the snitch, then the game, then his broom, and finally he'd even lost Cedric as well. And then Sirius, and now Kingsley Shacklebolt was dead. 'Who else?' Harry thought, his mind now miles from the pre-game formalities. 'How many others will die?'

The team members were beginning to stand and Harry realized with a start that Ron must have finished his speech. Ron was giving him quizzical looks as he moved toward the door with the rest of the team, but Ginny was standing over him, scowling.

"Harry, this is not the time to be dwelling on…on…" her voice broke and her face shifted into a motherly, protective expression. "Come on, cheer up," she finished, "No one is going to die today. Let's go show the Slytherin team how quidditch was meant to be played, all right?"

"All right, Ginny," Harry said, offering her a small smile and a weak chuckle. "I'm coming." He stood up and shouldered his Firebolt as he always had, but it seemed heavier than before and his feet didn't seem to be enjoying the steps he was taking. As the team neared the doorway that led onto the pitch, a sudden wave of dread washed over Harry such as he had not felt since his very first Quidditch game. Ginny nudged him and he smiled wanly. 'Silly, I'm just being silly. There is no reason to be nervous. It is, after all, just a game.'

_A game we're going to win! _

Ginny's exuberance coursed through him like a healing salve, and his dread and fear diminished. Smiling down at her, he was almost surprised when she rewarded him with a quick good-luck kiss before the whistle blew and both teams streamed out onto the warm, sun dazzled grass. Harry spotted Malfoy, who seemed uncannily at ease, and then Crabbe and Goyle, who couldn't seem to decide whether to glare more at the Gryffindors or their own team captain, Malfoy. Crabbe caught Harry watching him and humored him with an angry growl as he let his beater bat drop menacingly into his left hand a couple of times, giving Harry a clear message about what he'd really like to use that bat for. Harry narrowed his eyes, fingered the wand in his left pocket (which he never relinquished these days, rules or no rules, and gave Crabbe a stony, unwavering look. The larger boy blanched even as he attempted to look "tough" and Harry turned his attention to Madame Hooch who was now bringing the chest of Quidditch balls onto the pitch.

The announcer's voice rang out over the stadium, "And the bludgers are out, the Snitch is released, and the captains are at the center," Ron and Malfoy shook hands rather more forcefully than was necessary, and Harry sighed, knowing that old habits die hard. "The players are up, and the quaffle is released. And it's Wenslet with the quaffle first for Slytherin. She's nearing the Gryffindor goal posts, takes a shot…and…IT'S KNOCKED AWAY BY WEASLEY!"

A grand chorus of the Gryffindor version of "Weasley is our King" rang out from the crowd, and the game was suddenly in full swing. Separating himself from the battle by a few meters more altitude, Harry began his laborious search for the ever elusive snitch. He glanced from time to time at Malfoy, who was soaring along, seemingly oblivious to the game as a whole as he too scanned the playing field for that flutter of gold that could secure him his first Cup holding win. A flash of sympathy for Malfoy stopped Harry in his tracks, and then, shaking his head in surprise of himself, his Gryffindor pride took over and he skimmed past Malfoy in a heated dive, hoping to catch him in one of his well practiced Wronski Feints.

It almost worked, as Malfoy dove after him almost instantly. But when Harry pulled up and away from the impending impact, so did Malfoy, and the blonde called out gleefully, "Gig's up Potter, I know that trick already!"

"Oh yeah, Malfoy," Harry called back, "Well, why don't you watch me pull a rabbit out of your hat, then eh?" The confused look on Malfoy's face was priceless, and Harry found he was suddenly having quite a lot of fun. He gave Malfoy a playful, "catch-me-if-you-can" grin, and Malfoy raised a quizzical eyebrow. An unspoken challenge hung in the air, and a new game suddenly ensued. Harry took off, racing along the surface of the pitch, like a lion bounding through the underbrush, chasing its prey. He snatched up a handful of grass and, bracing himself with his feet, transfigured them under his robes mid-flight. Malfoy tailed him, swiftly skimming the earth, inches above the grass, until Harry abruptly climbed upward, at which point Malfoy sped under him, like water under a bridge, taking the lead in their unmeasured race. Harry let out a roar of laughter when he saw what Malfoy had done, and quickly circled around, bringing himself face to face with his competitor. Neither slowed as they approached one another, and a head on collision seemed the most likely outcome until Harry flipped himself upside-down in a deliberate sloth-grip roll, swerved under the bewildered Slytherin, looped back over top of Draco's head, and dropped something surreptitiously into the hood of the blonde boy's cloak. Draco stopped cold in his tracks, a look of unbridled surprise on his face. Reaching a shaking hand over his back and into his hood, he pulled out a fluffy white rabbit which wriggled in his grasp and scratched at his arms.

Roars of laughter filled the stadium as Madame Hooch blew her whistle and the announcer called, "And the game is halted as the Slytherin Seeker pulls a rabbit from his own hat. How on earth did it get there?!" It seemed no one had any inclination to blame Harry, and he grinned guiltily at Malfoy's astonished expression as he hovered near the Gryffindor Goal posts and used the pause in the game to look around for the snitch.

"What in Merlin's name are you up to?" Ron asked Harry as Madame Hooch extracted the rabbit from Malfoy's grip and placed it on the ground. Harry watched it hop away and wondered if the Marauders had ever had this much fun at a prank.

"Just a spot of fun, Ron," Harry laughed, and Ron shook his head as he smiled.

"Funny as that was, Harry, it would be nice if you'd concentrate on finding that snitch at some point," Ron scolded him, and Harry grinned.

"As you wish, oh captain, my captain," he taunted lightly, and having just spotted a speck of gold fluttering over Crabbe's left shoulder, he anxiously awaited Madame Hooch's game-reinstating whistle and then launched himself at the unsuspecting beater, full force. Not to be out done, Malfoy gathered up his own speed, and, being at a shorter distance from Crabbe than Harry was, quickly had his arm out, prepared to close a gloved hand over the golden conquest. Seeing them both coming at him, Crabbe made a hasty attempt to remove himself from the ensuing fray, then seeming to sense that he would not be able to move fast enough, brought his bat protectively up over his head and flattened his body to his broom handle just in time for Harry and Malfoy to sail over him in a gust of emerald and scarlet wind. Neck and neck now, Harry flew beside Malfoy, both of their arms reaching out in front of them, and the snitch danced from side to side just out of their reach as though to taunt them. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Malfoy attempt an extra burst of speed, but it was clear the Nimbus 2001 was already topped out as Harry's Firebolt kept the pace. Harry steeled his nerves and flattened his torso out across his broom handle to reduce air resistance, and with one last burst of acceleration he nosed past Malfoy and launched his right arm forward. Just as his outstretched hand began to close around the snitch, something hard and metallic connected with the back of Harry's head and everything went black.

The first conscious thought that followed Harry's blackout was, 'Did I at least catch the snitch,' and feeling it struggling in his hand, the second thought was, 'How did I end up on the grass?' There was a dull ache pounding through his head centered around a spot at the back where his fingers found a large angry lump that was oozing slightly. When he pulled his hand away he found his fingers were stained a blurry red. Looking around now, he found himself surrounded in a sea of emerald and scarlet robes with little orbs of various sizes and shades floating above it.

"Has anyone got my glasses?" he asked, and someone placed them carefully in his hand. He jammed them onto his face and winced when the motion set off a renewed wave of pain, an array of tiny lights dancing in front of his eyes.

"Stay still, Potter, Pomfrey's coming," he heard a familiar voice behind him saying.

Harry groaned and closed his eyes again, dreading yet another visit to the hospital wing of Hogwarts. He thought to himself that the school should simply assign him a permanent bed so he could decorate the space around it to his liking.

Madame Hooch and Madame Pomfrey pushed their way through the crowd then and Madame Pomfrey crouched over Harry and muttered something as she waved her wand over Harry's face. "Nasty concussion, and we'll need to sterilize and close that wound," she finally announced, "It's a wonder he hasn't got any broken bones. How far did he fall, Madame Hooch?"

"He was a good fifty feet up when it happened, Madame Pomfrey, but he only fell a few feet before Mr. Malfoy caught him."

"Mr. Malfoy?" Madame Pomfrey sounded confused, "You stopped Potter's fall?"

"Yes Ma'am," the same voice from behind Harry responded, and Harry turned his head in that direction. The blonde boy was kneeling in the grass next to him, and Harry realized his head was being propped up by Malfoy's knee. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, Harry tried to rise, but Madame Pomfrey placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back down.

"Lay still, Potter," she scolded him, then turned her attention back to Malfoy. "What happened?" she asked simply.

"My beater threw his bat at Potter's head because he was about to catch the snitch. Potter passed out and fell off, and I had to catch him so he wouldn't break his neck." Malfoy seemed to be attempting his best derisive tone, but was not entirely successful. The Malfoy Harry had known a year ago would have left Harry to fall and stolen the snitch from his hand!

"We deserved to lose that match!" he declared. "I told you guys, no cheating! Every last one of you did it anyway, and you!" He pointed his finger at Crabbe, "I don't want any players on my team that would risk another player's life just for the win. You're out, Vince. Get out of my sight!" The vehemence in Malfoy's voice was startling, and Harry turned his head slightly to survey Malfoy's angry face. This was something more than fulfilling a loyalty oath, Harry could see. Malfoy looked like he was thoroughly disgusted with Crabbe, someone who'd stuck by Malfoy for years.

"What's happened to you?" Crabbe voiced more than one listener's question. "Why are you suddenly all friendly with Potter? You hate Potter!"

"I used to hate Potter," Malfoy said, and he shifted under Harry's head as though he'd like to rise, but he didn't. "He's been a better friend to me in the last few months than all of Slytherin house ever was in six years. You two buffoons wouldn't know friendship if it landed on top of you! Weasley, come here and keep his head up so he doesn't bleed to death, will you?" Now Malfoy did rise, carefully allowing Harry's head to rest on the grass before he moved away, and the spot of his own blood on the front of Malfoy's robes did not escape Harry's notice. Ron came around immediately and sat where Malfoy had been, carefully resting Harry's head on his knee as Malfoy had done. Ginny knelt down beside her brother and took up Harry's hand. Malfoy walked right up to Crabbe and stood nose to nose with him.

"Go and tell your daddy for me that I won't play anymore," Malfoy nearly whispered. "I will not be their eyes, and I will not let them hurt him. You tell them that for me, Vince, and make sure they tell my father." Malfoy pushed his way past a stunned and frightened looking Vincent Crabbe, scowled at an equally stunned Goyle, and walked away from the crowd.

Harry looked up at Ron's bewildered face, and Ron looked down at him and shrugged. "I guess he finally found something worth standing up for," Ron said.

"We had better get him to the infirmary," Madame Pomfrey said. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, you may accompany him, no one else." She magicked a stretcher and levitated Harry onto it.

"Hang on a second," Malfoy called, pushing his way back through the crowd, "I'm going too."

"Mr. Malfoy…" Madame Pomfrey started to object but Malfoy set his jaw, stooped down, and took hold of the head end of the stretcher.

"And I'll carry him there myself! Weasley, take the other end!" Ron stepped to the foot end of the stretcher and the two of them lifted it up and began to walk. Ginny walked beside Harry, still holding onto his hand.

"Well, I never…" Madame Pomfrey said, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice. She made no further objection, but followed along behind the odd procession.

Hermione caught up with their little group as they were exiting the stadium and Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes and said, "I suppose you want to join them. Very well, but only for a few minutes, then you will all have to leave. He'll need to rest." Hermione nodded happily and walked beside the stretcher opposite Ginny.

Back in the hospital wing, Harry sighed as Ron and Malfoy helped him onto the hospital bed. After sending the four visitors out of the room to wait, Madame Pomfrey dabbed the wound with some kind of thick purple potion, and then she healed it up with her wand. The dull throb was reduced to a slight ache, and Harry thought it was quite the overkill when Madame Pomfrey announced he'd need to stay through the night and be roused every two hours to be sure the concussion didn't cause any problems. That would mean he couldn't even attend the post game party. He sighed again, annoyed at being cooped up here for the thousandth time, but then his thoughts wandered to the events that had brought him to this particular end. Something Malfoy had said kept running through Harry's mind. "…He's been a better friend to me in the last few months than all of Slytherin House ever was in six years…" Malfoy had called Harry a friend, and not just any friend, but a better friend than all of his housemates. A better compliment from Malfoy, Harry could not imagine. Having finished her work on Harry, Madame Pomfrey returned to the waiting area outside the infirmary and invited Harry's friends to come in.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked and Harry smiled.

"I'm fine Hermione, we won. You guys should go back to the Tower, I'm sure they've got a party waiting."

"We actually wanted to talk to you about that," Ron said. "We just thought, since you're stuck here and all, maybe we'd…have the party tomorrow instead?"

"No, that's ok, Ron, go and have some fun," Harry looked at Malfoy as he spoke. "Maybe I'll sneak up later if I can get past Pomfrey." Malfoy smirked.

"Harry, you really should stay here," Hermione scolded him lightly.

But Ginny said, "I'll bring down your cloak as soon as I can." And Harry smiled. "But we'll only stay a little while. You do need your rest, Harry. Concussions are a serious business, even for a wizard like you."

"All right, fine with me," Harry said, and he leaned back on his pillow. His three Gryffindor friends left, but Malfoy lingered behind. "Something on your mind, Malfoy?" Harry asked him.

"You said the offer still stands," Malfoy said quietly. Harry smiled and briefly contemplated what a summer with Draco Malfoy was going to be like.

"Yes, it does, if you're willing."

"First tell me where we'll be going."

"My house," Harry said, "I inherited it last summer. I can't really tell you where it is…"

"But I thought you said Dumbledore…"

"He approved you coming, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to know where it is."

"Why?"

"Don't get me wrong, Malfoy, I don't believe you'll give me away or anything, I trust you, but…Voldemort," Malfoy cringed, "has ways of getting the information he wants whether or not a wizard means to tell him. I just don't want any of his 'friends' showing up on my doorstep."

"Yes, I guess that makes sense. How will I get there then?"

"The same way I do. You'll just have to come with me, and trust me."

Neither spoke for some time. Harry got the distinct impression that some kind of internal struggle was going on inside of Malfoy's head.

"I do trust you. I'm just…concerned…my parents, you know, will be waiting for me at Kings Cross. After what I said to Vince tonight, Father will want to escort me home personally. He'll probably try anything from memory charms to the imperious on me if he gets ahold of me, that is if he lets me live at all."

"I expect the Order will be there to protect us. They've been guarding and tailing me for two years now."

"The Order?" Malfoy said bewilderedly.

"You don't know about the Order of the Phoenix?" Harry said disbelievingly. "Surely your father has spoken about Dumbledore's resistance movement against Voldemort!"

"Father has said things that I accidentally overheard, but he always referred to them as the fool and his followers. Is that what they call themselves then, The Order of the Phoenix?"

"Yeah, you know, for Dumbledore's bird? Well, anyway, they've been trying to keep me alive all this time. If you're with me, they'll be protecting you as well."

Malfoy nodded and fell quiet for a moment. Just when the silence was beginning to become uncomfortable for Harry, Malfoy suddenly reached inside the collar of his shirt and pulled out a small pendant on a silver chain. Harry watched him gaze at it longingly, then remove it carefully from his neck. Malfoy picked up Harry's hand, placed the pendant in his palm, and pressed down on Harry's fingers to close Harry's hand around it.

Withdrawing his hand from Harry's he finally said in a choked, guarded voice, "You keep this for me until the end of term. It'll protect you from surprise attacks. Its eyes glow green when an enemy approaches and it produces a magical shield that blocks any unfriendly spells that may be fired at you when you're not expecting them. My mother gave it to me when I started school. She said one of her cousins gave it to her for her birthday when they were children."

Harry realized with some measure of alarm that Malfoy was holding back tears for some reason and thought the amulet, whatever it was, must mean a lot to the other boy. Casting about for something off hand to say to ease the tenseness of the situation, Harry finally asked quietly, "Which cousin?"

"Sirius Black," Malfoy answered bluntly. Harry's jaw dropped open. He looked down at the pendant in his hand and examined it carefully. It was in the form of a snake coiled up on itself. Its jeweled eyes were of the deepest emerald and its tongue was the pointed cut of a ruby. A small hole was drilled into the snake's topmost silver coil and the chain was looped through this. Harry ran a finger across the silver body of the snake and felt the smooth scales that he could not see in the dim light. He looked back up at Malfoy, a single tear slipping unabashedly from his eye and, and saw the pale boy's face was streaked with tears now.

"It just seems right that you should have it," Malfoy murmured. "But don't lose it. It's the only heirloom I'll have to speak of once father disowns me."

Harry was at a complete loss for words now, and was inexpressibly grateful when he heard the infirmary door open and close. Any distraction would be a good thing just now. Madame Pomfrey came over to Harry's bed and made a fussed over him, checking his eyes for dilation and asking how the headache was coming along. Harry gave her passive, one-word answers to assure her he was fine, and she left again. All the while Malfoy continued to stand to the right of Harry's bed, just out of the way, but resolutely immobile. To Harry's surprise, Madame Pomfrey didn't even seem to notice he was there. She finished up her examination by waving her wand over the back of Harry's head and she pulled the hangings shut around Harry's bed. The door opened and closed again, and Harry assumed the healer was gone. But the sound of footsteps approaching made him look up. There was a soft rustling and then parting of the bed hangings and a second later Ginny and Colin Creevey came out from under Harry's invisibility cloak.

"I imagine we have two hours before she comes back to check on your concussion again, Harry. Shall we go?"

Harry grinned mischievously and began to rise from his bed. "Hello Colin, what have you come for?"

"I get to be you for two hours," Colin said with a smile that seemed to spread from ear to ear on his face.

"What? How?" Harry stammered.

"Morphus Draft," Ginny announced as if this explained everything. She reached up, pulled a hair from Harry's head, ("Ow, hey, I already have a headache, Gin,") and dropped it into a small crystal phial. She pulled one of Colin's hairs as well and dropped this in too. She handed him the phial and said, "Drink half of it. The rest is for Colin."

Harry glanced from Ginny to Colin to Malfoy and back to Ginny again. Ginny was grinning, Colin was smiling brightly still, and Malfoy was smirking. Malfoy nodded at the phial and said, "A brilliant idea, if you want my opinion."

"All right then," Harry said, "I'll do this on one condition."

"What condition?" Ginny asked looking hurt and confused. Harry opened his mind to her and she suddenly smiled as broadly as Colin and looked over at Malfoy.

"On the condition that Malfoy comes along," Harry said. Harry wasn't sure whether Colin Creevey or Draco Malfoy looked more surprised. Each looked like you could knock him down with a feather.

Five minutes later three students stood huddled under an invisibility cloak in front of the fat lady's portrait. Ginny said, "Milbourne Mandrakes" and the portrait swung aside, and they clambered through, jostling each other as they went. When they pulled the cloak off, several pairs of eyes settled on them and then grew wide. Gasps sounded around the room and silence gradually overtook the fervor of the celebration.

"Ginny, I thought Colin was staying in hospital for Harry," Dennis Creevey finally broke the silence, "And why is _he_ here?"

With a meager amount of mental exertion, Harry commanded the potion in his body to return him to his normal form, and the gasps resounded through the room again. Ginny was grinning broadly, but Malfoy was hanging back slightly.

"He is here on my invitation," Harry informed them.

"And mine as well," Ginny added. "If not for Malfoy, Harry might have been a great deal more injured today. This is the second time he's saved Harry's life. He deserves our gratitude and our friendship."

The silence continued and the tension grew as the Gryffindor students looked from Harry to Ginny to Malfoy. Finally, Ron and Hermione pushed their way through the crowd. Hermione caught hold of Parvati's hand and pulled her along as well. They came to a stop in front of Malfoy and Ron stuck out his right hand. Malfoy tenuously took it and they shook.

"Welcome to Gryffindor tower," Ron said.

"There's someone here who's been anxious to see you." Hermione added, and she pulled on Parvati's arm, propelling her forward. Parvati grinned sheepishly at Malfoy, and he stepped forward and picked up the hand that Hermione had dropped.

"I've been anxious to see you again, too," Malfoy said, and he pecked her cheek affectionately. Parvati frowned, and Harry was concerned that Hermione had gotten into the middle of something bad. But then Parvati placed her free hand at the back of Malfoy's neck pulled him forward and planted a kiss right on his lips. Malfoy's eyes flew open in surprise, but he kissed her back, and Harry and his friends laughed and hooted.

When the lovebirds quit their kissing, Harry and Ginny steered them over to the Gryffindor fire and sat them down on the couch they usually occupied themselves. "You two stay here and enjoy yourselves. We'll bring you some food," Harry commanded. Then he took out his wand and waved it at the food table and six plates laden with sweets and snacks and six butterbeers flew over and hovered in front of him. He directed each one to one of his friends and then he sat down with Ginny on the sofa to Malfoy and Parvati's left and Ron and Hermione claimed the one to the right when Neville vacated it mumbling something of which Harry caught the words "Luna" and "back in a bit."

"That was quite the hover charm, Potter," Malfoy commented as he picked up a treacle tart. "You wouldn't happen to have any chocolate éclairs over there, would you?"

"I'm sure Dobby would be happy to bring some from the kitchen," Harry said.

"Dobby?" Malfoy looked up in surprise, "Not…not Father's Dobby, surely?"

"Well, he was your father's once," Harry said, "until I freed him."

"_You freed him_?!" Malfoy's jaw was on the floor. "Father said…Oh never mind what father said. Tell me, is Dobby here then, at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, Dumbledore gave him a job in the kitchens. Shall I call him?"

"Yes, please do," Malfoy almost whispered.

"Dobby," Harry called out clearly, and Dobby appeared in the center of the semi-circle of sofas with a little pop.

"Did master Harry Potter call for Dobby?" the little elf said with a gracious bow, and Malfoy stood up and then knelt down behind Dobby.

"Dobby? Is it really you?" Malfoy asked and Dobby turned around to face the ashen faced boy.

"Master Draco? What is bringing Master Draco into Master Harry Potter's common room?" Dobby took a few steps back and glanced nervously at Harry, a look of pure surprise on his little face.

"Draco is here because I invited him, Dobby," Harry said and Malfoy's eye caught Harry's when Harry used his first name. "He's my friend," he continued, "Dobby would you bring Draco some chocolate éclairs, please?"

"Of course, Harry Potter, sir…" Dobby began, but before he could apparate away Malfoy scooped the little elf up in a bone crushing embrace.

"Father said you were dead," Malfoy whispered, tears welling up in his eyes again. He dropped the elf and backed away, an embarrassed blush sweeping his cheeks, and a wide eyed Dobby popped out of the room and came back again with a tray full of a dozen chocolate éclairs. Malfoy smiled, took one, and sat down next to Parvati again. Dobby swept into a deep bow and apparated out of the room again.

Harry cleared his throat and watched Malfoy, hoping for some sort of explanation. The blonde boy glanced at him quickly and then looked down at the éclair in his lap. "When I was growing up, Dobby used to sneak snacks up to me when I was sent to my room without dinner. And he would bring me things from around the castle when I asked for them. He…he was…the only friend I had, really, unless you want to count the goons my father insisted I entertain when they came around." The silence in the group was palpable.

"Dobby has been a good friend to me as well," Harry said. "He's saved my neck a time or two, for sure."

"How…how did you free him?" Malfoy asked, suddenly looking confused. "Father said he died, that he'd punished himself to death for betraying the family."

"I suppose that was after our second year?" Harry asked knowingly, and Malfoy nodded. "You'll remember that was the year the Chamber of Secrets was opened, right? Well…" Harry launched into the tale and along the way, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron all added their voices to the telling. When Harry got to the part about going down into the Chamber to find Ginny, Malfoy blanched and fidgeted.

"What was it?" the Slytherin asked. "What was the monster?"

"Turns out it was a basilisk," Harry said and Malfoy's jaw hit the floor again. "But I killed it," Harry continued, "with the Sword of Gryffindor."

"How on earth did you get hold of the Sword of Gryffindor? Isn't it locked up in the Headmaster's office?" Malfoy asked.

"I guess you could say Fawkes brought it to me, wrapped up in the sorting hat. I pulled it out of the hat and fought off the snake with it and put it through the top of the snake's head. Of course, got a fang stuck in my arm while I was at it. But Fawkes healed me with his phoenix tears and then I put the fang through the diary to get rid of Tom Riddle."

"Tom Riddle? Who's he? Wait…he was a Slytherin, a head boy, wasn't he?"

"Yes he was," Harry answered, "and he was the heir of Slytherin. Tom Riddle eventually became Lord Voldemort." Harry watched the effect this information had on Malfoy.

"You have to be joking," Malfoy shook his head and peered at Harry from the corner of his eye.

"Not at all," Harry said. Malfoy swallowed hard, blinked a few extra times, and looked down at his hands.

"Ok, so, what does all this have to do with Dobby?" he asked as though hoping to move past the subject of Lord Voldemort's original identity.

"Well, after I put the fang through the diary, Riddle's memory exploded or something, and Ginny woke up. We went back to where Ron was waiting and Fawkes carried the three of us and Professor Lockhart up the pipe. We went to Dumbledore's office and told him the whole thing and that's when your father showed up with Dobby. He kept kicking Dobby around and smacking him with his walking stick. So when he'd left I asked Dumbledore for the diary back. I caught up with your father and Dobby and told him I had something of his. I gave the diary to your father, and he handed it to Dobby and my sock was inside of it."

"Your sock…but father handed it to him…so…Merlin, Potter, Father must have been livid!"

"Yeah, but then Dobby knocked him on his arse!" Harry laughed. "He left with some vague threat about ending up like my parents," Harry shrugged. "But you know, Dobby's been quite a help to me since then. Fourth year he got me through the Triwizard tournament by bringing me Gillyweed for the second task. Then last year he was the one who showed me where the Room of Requirement was so we could start the D.A. So I guess you could say that were it not for Dobby, there would not have been a D.A., and then you would never have joined it…"

"To Dobby, then," Malfoy lifted his butterbeer bottle, and Harry smiled.

"To Dobby," they all echoed, and they drank.

The evening passed with comfortable conversation after that, and before they knew it, the two hour time limit was up. Harry and Malfoy each kissed their girlfriends goodnight, Harry morphed back into the image of Colin Creevey, and he and Malfoy left through the portrait hole under the invisibility cloak. Back at the infirmary, Harry and Colin exchanged visages again, and Colin snuck spiritedly out into the corridor to return to Gryffindor Tower. Harry had meant to give him the cloak for cover, but Colin had left too quickly.

"Hope he doesn't get caught," Harry sighed. "He's a prefect this year. It wouldn't look good on his record."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Malfoy responded. "Thanks, by the way. It was nice to see Parvati tonight, and Dobby too."

"Sure," Harry shrugged, "Thanks for the amulet."

"Keep it safe," Malfoy urged again.

"I will, I swear," Harry said sincerely. "It belonged to Sirius once."

"And to my mother," Malfoy added.

"Here," Harry shoved the cloak into Malfoy's hand. "You keep this for me. We'll trade at the end of the term. Consider it insurance on the amulet."

"Wherever did you manage to come by an invisibility cloak, Potter? These are rather rare, you know."

"It was my father's," Harry said barely above a whisper. "Keep it as safe as you expect me to keep this," Harry said, pulling the amulet from within his robes. He draped the long chain around his neck and let the snake pendant rest against the outside of his robes. He could feel Malfoy's grey eyes watching him intently as he did this.

"You're sure about this, Harry?" Malfoy said, and Harry's head popped up at the use of his given name.

"I'm sure, Draco," Harry responded. He smiled reassuringly, then climbed up on the bed just in time to hear Madame Pomfrey to come bustling in through the infirmary door. "She'll think neither of us ever left," Harry grinned. He leaned back on his pillow and Malfoy returned to the spot just to the right of Harry's headstand where he'd been the last time the healer had come in.

The hangings were pulled back and Madame Pomfrey swept in. "I see you're awake, Mr. Potter. How's the headache?"

"It's fine, much better actually. Can I go back to my dorm then?" It was a long shot, but worth a try.

"Certainly not, you'll stay right here where I can keep an eye on you," the healer retorted. "How you managed to fool me the last time is beyond me, but I hear you ended up sleeping through your afternoon classes, and I'm quite sure you should have stayed. This time you will." Draco chuckled softly and Harry wondered how far the rumors had spread and what people were saying about that by now.

"As for you, Mr. Malfoy, I believe you've stood sentinel long enough. No one is going to be throwing beater bats at Mr. Potter while he's in here."

"If it's all the same to you, Madame Pomfrey, I'd rather stay," Malfoy responded without hesitating. "Beater bats aren't the only thing some of my housemates would like to throw at Potter, and they're quite good at sneaking around the castle undetected. They won't dare do anything, though, with a Slytherin prefect on the watch."

Madame Pomfrey seemed to consider this carefully, and she looked as though she would object. But as she studied Malfoy's face, her expression softened and she replied, "Very well, then. Suit yourself. But don't come crawling in here looking for a Sleeplessness Draft when you can't stay awake tomorrow. At least there are no classes tomorrow, it being Sunday." She finished examining Harry and bustled back out again, and Harry looked over at Malfoy.

"If you're staying, you might's well pull a bed over and relax. You wouldn't have a chessboard on you, would you?"

"I don't generally plan on carrying one through quidditch games, no," Malfoy smirked, "But I could probably transfigure one. Hold on," he pulled a wand from his robes, walked over to a supply shelf, pulled down some clean empty bottles, and changed them into an elegant looking chess board, green and silver squares on one side, red and gold on the other with crystal figures arranged into their proper places. He waved his wand again and a bed scooted over and stopped a foot away from Harry's. Harry smiled, placed a hover charm on the board so it would float between the beds, and Malfoy sat down on the new bed and moved a pawn to start the game.


	19. Friend and Foe

**Chapter Nineteen: Friend and Foe**

The early hours of Sunday morning found Harry and Draco battling out their thirteenth game of wizard's chess. Over the course of the night, Harry managed to tell Draco about the Philosopher's stone, Moaning Myrtle, all three tasks of the Triwizard Tournament, and Sirius Black's escape from Hogwarts and the Ministry on the back of Buckbeak the Hippogriff (Malfoy still had a few choice words to say about the hippogriff). Malfoy listened, laughed, and almost cried when Harry talked about Sirius falling through the veil at the Ministry.

"What about you?" Harry asked as sunlight began to filter through the windows of the infirmary. "You've been avoiding my questions all night! Isn't there anything you can tell me about the life of Draco Malfoy?"

"Suffice it to say, that amulet I gave you has kept me alive on more than one occasion simply because I knew when to get out of the house. Malfoy Manor is cold and empty and old. If I go back when I'm sixty it'll be too soon."

Harry watched his new friend's face carefully. Time was getting short now, and maybe it was the sleep deprivation, but Harry decided to take a risk.

"How is it that you never knew that your father was a Death Eater, Draco?" Harry asked bluntly. "You always seemed like you knew, like you had every intention of becoming just like him."

Draco's eyes suddenly seemed to be glued to the floor. "Ignorance is bliss, Harry," he responded so quietly that Harry almost didn't hear him. "Subconsciously, I think I always knew. But I'd have done anything last summer to slip back into denial. When you came back from the Ministry last June, I hated you more because you broke my little bubble than because of what you actually did." Draco lifted his face and looked Harry in the eye.

"It was easier to hate you for tearing down my walls than it was to accept that I had been wrong," he said, and then he dropped his gaze to the floor again. "So I tried to convince myself that it wasn't such a bad thing if my father was a Death Eater, that maybe he had the right idea and You-Know-Who was the guy to get the job done as far as purifying the wizarding world. So when they asked me to help them get to you, I did it. My revenge turned into my undoing, though." He paused for such a long time that Harry thought he should prod him along.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

Malfoy continued then, as though Harry had not spoken at all, "It was when I saw you step out of that muggle car, the way you just knew…just knew that something was wrong. I could see it on your face. I couldn't do it, couldn't let them capture you. So I sent the stunner just to warn you. And then you didn't leave!" Draco sounded desperate, as though he were reliving the experience in the telling. "You made your relatives leave, but you stayed there to fight, and you must have known how outnumbered you were. I have never in my life seen anyone do anything so noble. You can't imagine how relieved I was when they came back and pulled you into the car. I have no idea how you managed to escape them, but you did, and that's the important thing."

"How'd you stay out of trouble?" Harry asked, "Wasn't your father angry about the warning shot?"

"Oh, he was angry," Draco nodded, "But he told the others it was simply the result of nerves and inexperience. And I got into plenty of trouble! He promised them all he would train me better than 'the old fool,' and he put me through hell the rest of the summer. He had me practicing curses and hexes and acting out fight scenes all summer long. I've never been so miserable."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "What was so miserable about that? That's what I've been doing to you in the D.A., too. You didn't seem to upset there."

"I was miserable because I knew every skill I was learning was meant to hone me into a killer to be enslaved to a Dark Lord. I was miserable because I knew that they would expect me to use these skills to help the Dark Lord kill you, and I didn't want to kill you. I still hated you for ruining my little world, and even tried to blame my new predicament on you. It was your fault that I was now in full training to become a Death Eater because you pulled my father's secret out of the closet. I couldn't hide from it anymore, and I couldn't deny it. So I hated you, but not like before."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Harry said.

"Don't be," Draco replied, his voice suddenly clear and full of determination. "If it hadn't been for you, if you hadn't gotten Father thrown into Azkaban, if you hadn't been so darn noble in the face of such great odds, if you hadn't stood up to me on the train, as usual, what was it you said to me? Oh yes, '…crawl back under the rock from which I sprang…' that was particularly amusing, I must say."

"Sorry about that," Harry murmured, looking at his feet that were dangling off the infirmary bed.

"No, you were right. I am a spoiled brat, or at least I was, hiding under the strength and power of my father. It was about time I got that lesson beat into me. How _does_ your girlfriend do that bat hex?"

Harry laughed, but also felt the weight of Draco's statements and saw the anxiety and tension written on Draco's face, and thought it was time for a lighter conversation.

"So, um…how did you end up dating Parvati?" he offered as a change of subject.

"Parvati…Mmm," Draco's smile returned and a dreamy expression washed over his face. "It was right after I ran into you and your gang of Gryffindors on the train that I passed by her in the corridor. She is the most beautiful witch at Hogwarts! She passed by me and scowled at me, and everything you'd ever said about me seemed to be written all over her face when she looked at me. But I was smitten." Draco shook his head and laughed softly. "I sought out every opportunity to be wherever she was from then on. I was determined to show her that I wasn't everything you said I was, and wasn't anything like my father. But the harder I tried the more I saw just how much like my father I had become. Still, she was talking to me, and that was a start. It wasn't until after I joined the D.A. that she agreed to date me." He paused for a moment, as though relishing that happy memory. Then a sadness seemed to come over him and he continued, "When I told her I was in love with her on Christmas day, she said I would have to choose. It was either her or my father. She said she had no intention of giving her love to anyone who would try to hurt Harry Potter. That was harsh. There you were again, right in the middle of things. It seemed it was always you standing in the way of every dream, every expectation, every belief I'd always had, and I was angry. When I heard about the Weasley's house burning down, I had to take it out on you. It was so perfect. Here was me, everyone thinking _I _was the Death Eater in training, and Weasley's own brother, the former Head Boy, turns out to be the bad guy! And then the letter came from home…"

The blonde boy put his head in his hands, the chess game thoroughly forgotten. His shoulders shook slightly and his fingers raked through his hair. When he looked up again, tears were streaming down his face. Harry looked away, embarrassed, but Draco's next words pulled his attention back to the suffering Slytherin. "He hurt my mum," Draco spat venomously. "That bastard actually performed the Cruciatus curse on my own mum!"

"Who did it, Draco? Was it Voldemort?" Harry asked, emerald eyes locking with silver.

"I wish it had been him…no…my father did it, on You-Know-Who's command, but still, _he_ did it. He tortured her and then gloated about it to me, saying I'd get the same if I didn't behave better. Father said Mother deserved what she got for not teaching me to be the kind of son and heir I was meant to be. He said he would kill Parvati and her whole family, and me as well, if I didn't come back and join the brotherhood."

"The brotherhood?" Harry asked incredulously, "They consider themselves brothers?"

"Oh, far from it, at least their actions would suggest otherwise. And yet, they refer to themselves as the 'Brotherhood of Victors over Death.'" He said the title with a sing-song like derisive tone. "Death Eaters is what everyone else decided to call them."

"Wow," Harry breathed heavily. It seemed his change of topic wasn't as lighthearted as he'd hoped. Still, he was aching to know more about this veritable anomaly before him. "So I guess I know what you decided to do after that," Harry prompted.

"Yeah, but it was not an easy pill to swallow. Looking into Weasley's face, that day in the library, it was just too much. After everything I'd done to him, and his sister, and you, and even Granger, I almost couldn't do it. Asking Dumbledore for help was one thing. He's a Professor. He's been letting me stay here all this time, and surely he always knew what my parents were. But if he could let Professor Snape teach, even be head of Slytherin house, surely he could forgive me for what I had become under my father's training. But you…" Draco ran a hand through his hair again, "I had done unspeakable things to you, and to your friends, and knowing what you thought of me…what you knew about me…I really expected you to send me to the dogs!"

"I wouldn't do that," Harry whispered.

"I know," Draco whispered back, his eyes on the disused chess board. Then he added more clearly, "I know that now, but not then. Still it was my only hope, and it helped that you let me tell you without the Weasleys and Granger there."

Draco's mention of Hermione brought another huge question to Harry's mind. "Can I ask you one more thing?" Harry said, fearing Malfoy might be too wrung out to talk anymore.

"Sure," the other said, a quiet resignation in his eyes.

"Why…why do you hate muggle-borns? What do you have against wizards and witches who are born to muggle parents?"

"I don't hate them anymore, Harry," Draco said.

Harry's mind did a little flip-flop as he tried to process that statement. "You don't?" he asked disbelievingly.

"No," Draco shook his head lethargically, "I used to though. Father always said…and who doesn't believe their parents about things like that? But anyway, Father always said that the more wizard kind mixed with muggle kind, the more their children would be born with fewer and fewer powers until there would be no wizards left. Such a fate is frightening for a young person, and it seemed to make sense. But Granger is the most powerful witch I've ever dueled. Even Bellatrix Lestrange can't measure up to her in sheer fighting ability. Bella's just quick, that's all. She knows when to duck and when to run to keep herself alive. But Granger is powerful, no question about it. I don't know how, but she is. And then there's you."

Harry looked carefully at Draco. There was that characteristic smirk again, but it was coupled with a look of pure awe as the other surveyed Harry's face, his eyes coming to rest for a moment on Harry's scar. But then Draco looked Harry directly in the eye and his voice took on the sort of strength that comes of conviction, "You have to be the most powerful wizard I've ever met. And you're only a half blood. And Neville Longbottom, and Vince and Gregory, they're all pure-bloods. But they're practically squibs. Of course, Longbottom's head and shoulders above those two buffoons now, thanks to you and the D.A, but he's not nearly as powerful as you or Granger. I don't understand it, and I can't say as I ever will. But what Father always said just doesn't ring true. Powerful witches and wizards don't always come from powerful pure-blooded wizarding families."

There was such sincerity, such remorse in Draco's words, and the sheer honesty with which he offered up these compliments to Harry was overwhelming. Harry sat in silence and simply stared as Draco spoke, and he was thoroughly relieved for the distraction when Madame Pomfrey came in to check on him again at daybreak.

"Have you two slept at all?" the healer questioned them. "For crying out loud, Potter, you should be resting. Well, that's that, then, there's nothing for it. The both of you are going to take a dose of dreamless sleep potion and sleep for the next six hours at least!"

"Can we have some breakfast first?" Harry asked brightly, "I'm famished!"

"I'll have some sent up shortly, and then you are both going straight to sleep. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," they both answered.

Breakfast arrived a few minutes later carried in by Dobby and a few of the Hogwarts House Elves. They set the trays in front of the boys' beds and apparated out again. Harry tucked in hungrily, but noticed that Draco was barely picking at his food.

"Is something wrong, Draco?" Harry asked.

Draco put down his fork and stared at his food. "I was just thinking to myself how much better the food is at Malfoy Manor than it is here…and then I remembered that I won't be eating at Malfoy Manor again for a very long time."

"I'm sorry. You've given up a lot…you must be wondering if it was worth it," Harry tried to understand.

"No, it's worth it. The choice was really between becoming a horrible tyrant in an old stuffy castle where the food happens to be good, or have a clear conscience and live with the famous Harry Potter, heaven only knows where, and take a chance on the food…"

"Well, if it's any consolation, I expect the Weasleys will be there this summer too, and Mrs. Weasley is a fantastic cook!"

"The Weasleys?" Draco sounded startled at the thought. Harry glanced at him and grinned.

"I imagine Hermione will drop in as well at some point, if she doesn't stay the whole time like she did last year."

"Granger too?" Draco sounded like he was going into shock.

"And her parents…"

"This had better be a big house Potter!" Draco glared at Harry.

"It'll suffice…" Harry grinned at the horrified look on Draco's face. "Don't worry so much. If the Dursleys can survive a summer there with us, I'm sure you'll fit right in."

"Please tell me your muggle relatives won't be back this year!" Draco sounded exasperated as he scrunched up his face and covered it with his hands hiding the redness in his cheeks.

"No, I certainly hope not…though Dudley was almost civil there at the end."

Draco let out a long, low sigh and said, "This is sure going to be an interesting summer."

Harry wondered what Draco would say if he told him that members of the Order of the Phoenix would be in and out every day as well, and he thought about what a shocking transition it would be for Malfoy to leave a huge castle where he was always alone and live instead at the always crowded, always busy, always noisy house at 12 Grimmauld Place. It would probably be very much like leaving the cupboard under the stairs to enter a world where he was famous for something he couldn't even remember.

"You should eat," Harry said in what he hoped was a comforting tone, "before it gets cold."

Malfoy offered Harry a wan smile and placed a sausage obediently into his mouth with a "Yes, mother," expression on his face, and Harry laughed.

When Breakfast was finished, Harry and Draco took their potions obediently and settled back into their pillows for a good nap. After the depth of their conversations through the night, Harry was looking forward to a dreamless sleep.

"…_what made you think you could deceive the Dark Lord?" a cold voice hissed. "You shall suffer for your insolence! Lord Voldemort is not betrayed so easily!"_

"_For nearly twenty years I have opposed you in secret. If you destroy me now, it does not matter. I have lived honorably and shall die honorably!" a caged man with dark, oily hair and a hooked nose said._

"_HONOR! What honor is there for you? None but the old fool knows of your true allegiance. Your name will go down in history as having lived and died in my service. There might have been honor, had you served me faithfully, but among my faithful brethren and within the public eye alike, you shall be known as the traitor! For that is what you are."_

"_The Boy knows what I have been! He will fulfill his destiny and vanquish you and all your host of slaves and inhuman minions. You, Lord Voldemort, will die!" The captured man spat the name with intense distaste, as though attempting to remove the filth of it from his lips._

"_You _**dare **_to speak my name!" screamed the captor, " Crucio!" The caged and shackled man fell to the floor, his body arched in excruciating pain, but he refused to scream, refused to utter a single sound as the torture continued. _

"_How have you come to this end, Severus?" the Dark Lord asked when he had lifted the curse at last. "I could just kill you now, but I shall wait. Yes, at the end of this week my faithful servants will have accomplished the tasks I have required of them, and then, in full view of all, as an example to them of what happens to those who dare to betray me, then you and Potter both shall die."_

"_The school will be expecting my return before then," Severus said dully, knowing the pain he would endure through the coming days. "They will come searching for me. You cannot afford to keep me alive for so long." _

"_Oh, not to worry, my dear Severus, though it is most kind of you to show concern for my welfare. But that little problem has already been solved. I believe you are expected to return tomorrow morning along with the crew I've sent to…investigate…The School will not miss you. I assure you of that. I have sent another in your stead, a more accomplished, and far more faithful spy to take your place at the old fool's side. They will not even know you are gone from them until it is much too late to rectify the situation."_

"_You cannot fool Dumbledore with Polyjuice or a Morphus Draft. He will know."_

"_He will be far too preoccupied with the investigation to pay it any mind," the Dark Lord sneered. "Don't flatter yourself so. He will not know, nor will he miss you all that much when your absence is discovered. By then, he will have discovered what a treacherous troublemaker you truly are. Good day…Severus…my pet."_

_An angry growl emanated from behind the bars of the cage as the Dark Lord turned his back on the prisoner and strolled purposefully out of the room._

"Harry…"someone was calling. "Harry!"

"Hmm…" Harry grunted and rolled over.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Potter, wake up!"

"What?!" Harry sat bolt upright and a startled Draco fell backward and landed with an "Oof" on the floor.

"Bloody Hell, Potter…"

"Draco? What are you doing on the floor?" Harry asked as he rubbed his eyes blearily. For having taken a dreamless sleep potion, he'd sure had one heck of a dream. Something about a dungeon, or a prison, perhaps he'd simply been cooped up in this infirmary too many times and it was starting to affect his subconscious thoughts.

"Oh, me? I'm just checking for spiders," Draco drawled sarcastically. "Look there goes one now," he added truthfully, getting up in a hurry and dusting off his robes.

"Probably one of Aragog's children," Harry said, and his pronouncement was promptly followed by a wide yawn.

"Aragog? Who is Aragog?"

"Spider…big…lives in forest…friend of Hagrid's…" Harry explained disjointedly as he swung his bare feet over the side of the infirmary bed and began to pull on his trousers.

"I don't suppose I want to know the rest of the story, do I?" Draco drawled.

"I dunno, do you?" Harry peered at his companion with one half-open eye. Without waiting for the Slytherin to respond he began brightly, "Aragog is a ten foot tall eight eyed spider that got Hagrid framed as the person petrifying students the first time the Chamber of Secrets was opened. Ron and I went and had a chat with him after Hagrid was arrested when the Chamber was opened the second time. The only thing Aragog could tell us was that Hagrid was innocent and that the muggle-born girl had died in the bathroom. We took a chance and guessed it was Moaning Myrtle who had died, and that's how we found the entrance into the Chamber of Secrets."

By the end of his story telling, Harry had finished dressing and the two boys began to walk toward the Great Hall in search of some lunch.

"Merlin, Potter," Draco said, "You spoke to a ten foot spider in its own domain and escaped to tell the tale? Add that to the Basilisk and four encounters with You-Know-Who, and we should stop calling you 'The Boy Who Lived' and start referring to you as 'The Boy Who Refuses to Ever Die'!"

"I'd rather you just call me Harry," Harry said sincerely as they stepped into the Great Hall. As always, every eye in the room immediately turned to see Harry enter, and a murmur spread through the room when they saw who had come in with him. Harry sighed and walked in, but Draco, not used to this kind of attention, stopped short. When Harry noticed that his companion was no longer with him, he turned around to see where Draco had gone. The boy who had always vied for the whole school's attention stood frozen in the doorway now that he'd gotten it. Harry walked back to Draco, took hold of his arm, and pulled him into the room.

"Why don't you come and sit with the Gryffindors today?" Harry suggested. "I think Parvati would like that, don't you?" Draco stared at Harry for a few seconds and then scanned the room again as he began to walk in the direction Harry was leading him.

"I've always wondered…" the pale boy said.

"Wondered what, Draco?"

"…Wondered what it was like to be you around here. Now that I know, I have to say, it's not as great as I thought it would be."

"I'd have to agree," Harry said as they approached his friends at the Gryffindor table. Harry kissed Ginny and sat beside her, pulling Draco into the seat on his other side. "A little privacy would be nice now and then."

Whispers and gasps washed through the room as the students watched Draco sit down next to Harry at the Gryffindor table. When Parvati picked up her things and moved to sit beside him, planting a kiss on his reddening cheek, there was a sudden shrieking from the Slytherin side of the room. Turning to look for the source of the noise, Harry observed a distraught looking Pansy Parkinson running out of the Great Hall. Draco ignored the Slytherin girl entirely though, his attention absorbed in the Gryffindor girl sitting beside him.

Harry smiled and said quite lazily, "Pass the chicken, will ya Ron?" Ron nodded and without looking up from his own food, passed Harry the plate of chicken.

Monday morning started out all right. Harry woke up early to look over his lesson plans, nervous about the start of Umbridge's "Ministry" investigation. He wasn't sure why he thought Voldemort was behind it, except for the obvious reason, Voldemort being in control of Percy Weasley and therefore the Ministry. Still, something was nagging him at the back of his mind, telling him this was going to be a week he'd never forget, no matter how much he'd want to. So he was studying feverishly, hoping that whatever he was teaching his students would by some miracle satisfy the Ministry as to the safety of the students at the school. A memo had arrived by Owl post in Dumbledore's office the evening prior detailing the safety measures to be inspected and requesting certain information. The memo had been passed to all the staff members, Harry included, for review. With a sigh, Harry set down his class notes and scanned the memo for the ump-teenth time.

"Dear Professor Dumbledore and Staff," Harry read quietly as he sat in his favorite chair by the fire in the common room, "Please see the itinerary below for expected and approved safety inspection procedures, their dates and times. We assure you that the best trained members of the Department for Magical Educational Review have been selected for their skill, dependability, and excellent record for service within the Ministry of Magic…Blah, blah, blah, blah…Dear Merlin, could they give any more praise to that toad woman and her league of educational bullies?" He scanned the list of procedures again.

"Monday: 9:00am until 12:00 noon, Testing of wards, defenses, alarms, and armory response.

Tuesday: 9:00am, Student Awareness Drill #1: Returning to school from grounds at the sound of an alarm. Time, orderliness, and cooperation noted.

Wednesday: 10:00am, Student Awareness Drill #2: Evacuating school in case of internal breech of security at command of Headmaster. Time, orderliness, and cooperation noted.

Thursday: 3:00-5:00pm, 7:00-10:00pm, (Serving of evening meal allowed between 5:00 and 7:00) Students Dueling skills examined. All students are to be tested within the Great Hall.

First Years:3-3:30pm

Second Years:3:30-4:15pm

Third Years:4:15-5:00pm

Fourth Years:7:00-7:45pm

Fifth Years:7:45-8:30pm

Sixth Years:8:30-9:15pm

Seventh Years: 9:15-10:00pm

Any students who do not appear for their test will be detained from 6:00-9:00am Friday morning at which time they will be examined for their dueling skills. Students who do not appear for either test session will be expelled from school for failure to comply with official Ministerial Educational Decrees.

Friday: 9:00am, A written exam will be administered to all students regardless of class level to determine their understanding of Evacuation and Return to School procedures, dueling skill procedure and technique, Dark Creatures that might be utilized by any attacking dark wizards, and seriousness of any attack situation. Students with high scores on the written exam will be rewarded with an extra Hogsmeade trip in June. Students who do poorly will be required to attend a training class to prepare them for the possibility of future attacks.

We respectfully request a written prospectus of all materials covered in all classes since the beginning of the school year, as well as those materials expected to be covered over the remaining two months. Ministry officials will be observing teaching procedure in several classrooms, according to the discretion of the investigators. Classrooms to be observed will not be pre-disclosed, and teachers may or may not be aware of the presence of said investigators.

The Ministry of Magic Department for Magical Educational Review expresses its gratitude in advance for the hospitalities and cooperation of the staff and students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Most Cordially Yours,

Minister Percy Weasley, Minister of Magic

Ms. Dolores Umbridge, Head, Department for Magical Educational Review

Mr. Angelo Rumsfedlt, Senior Undersecretary, DMER

Harry laid the memo on the table in front of him and picked up the pile of prospectuses he'd hastily put together after first receiving the memo last night. If there was anything to be gained from this investigation, it had at least helped him see the value of a prospectus in a teaching assignment. It had taken him hours to find all the old parchments that held his former lesson plans and read through them. Tonks may have been the official teacher, but for the four grade levels over which Harry had been given leeway, Harry had been entirely in charge. Tonks had never once questioned him in his motives or decisions, nor had she offered anything but praise for his methods. Classes had gone smoothly, and were often very enjoyable, but his record keeping, other than individual grades of students, had left something to be desired. How was he to know next year what any given student had learned or observed? Now that he had all these records found, he realized how far his first through fourth year students had come, and he couldn't help but feel proud of them. Little Brittany Maddox had gone from a cowering softie to a formidable opponent, disarming, hexing, and blocking in a duel with speed and agility. Dennis Creevey was less of a revering fan and more of a commensurate equal. And Courtney Mikhail was among the few Slytherins who had joined the D.A. half way through the school year.

Taking out his wand, Harry made a duplicate of each prospectus, one for each of the four grade levels he taught, and set aside the copies to keep for reference in the coming school year. The originals he set on the stack of parchments to be delivered to Dumbledore by 8:00am this morning. With a wide yawn he leaned back in his chair and stared at the fire. Holding up his Occlumency barrier so as to permit Ginny a peaceful sleep during his personal fit of anxiety was almost as tiring as the tedious paperwork he'd been working on all morning. He was glad to know that teaching wasn't always like this. The moments in the classroom when he'd seen a student perform a spell correctly for the first time were exhilarating, and he lived for those. And the lessons he'd learned about himself along the way were precious pearls of wisdom. This year had been less dangerous so far, but certainly not any less interesting than the previous ones. His experiences had included the Ptolemy bond, Pettigrew's impersonation of Filch, working with the D.A. and teaching classes, they'd won the Quidditch Cup again, and he'd learned a valuable lesson in forgiveness and second chances from Draco Malfoy. Still, he wasn't so sure he was apt to be fool enough to extend the same hand of welcome to Dolores Umbridge today as Ron had given to Draco on the night of the championship game. Second chances had to be earned.

Students began filing out of their dorms and milling about in the common room now, and Harry quickly realized that his time for concentrating was over. He stacked his parchments neatly and sorted them into his book bag. Then he slowly dropped a portion of his Occlumency barrier and focused his mind on the familiar Unicorn fountain and his sweet Ginny. As the vision came into view, he saw her sleeping comfortably on a bed of feather pillows just out of reach of the droplets of water. He leaned over her and stroked her back gently, whispering in her ear, "I love you, Ginny; it's time to wake up."

She stretched and yawned and he smiled at her lovingly. Then he slowly pulled himself out of the dream. About ten minutes later, Ginny arrived in the common room, her uniform smartly in place and her hair still wet from a shower. He took her hand, kissed her cheek, and they left for the Great Hall together for breakfast. Normally they would have waited for Ron and Hermione, but today Harry needed to stop by the Headmaster's office to deliver the required materials for the investigation.

"Fizzing Wizzbees," Harry muttered, and the Gargoyle stepped out of his way. At the top of the stairs, Harry knocked lightly and then entered the office without waiting for a response, knowing Dumbledore was expecting him.

"Good morning, Harry, Ginny," the headmaster said as they entered.

"Good morning, sir," Harry responded as he placed his stack of parchment on the headmaster's desk.

"I hope you didn't stay up all night working on those," Dumbledore sighed.

"I did most of it this morning. I hope I've filled everything in properly. Has Professor Snape returned as planned, sir?"

"Yes, he sent up his prospectuses with a House Elf a few hours ago. He has always been quite the early riser."

"I trust his injuries have healed without complications, then?" Harry asked. He wasn't quite sure why he was so interested in Snape's health, of all things, but it had been bothering him all morning, along with his nerves about the investigation.

Something just wasn't right about all of this; he just couldn't place what it was. But then, anything coming from the Ministry of Magic of late was easily classified as bad news. The auror training laws they'd put into place had done more to tie up the department in red tape than to assist in the fight against Death Eater attacks, and the informants the Ministry was paying to find information on the whereabouts of Lord Voldemort and his followers (Death Eaters and Dark Creatures alike), had turned up nothing, proving to be a tremendous waste of public revenues. Harry was sure this investigation was to prove the same type of despicable faking of the fight that the other measures had been. But what could one expect from a Minister under the influence of an Imperious Curse controlled by Lucius Malfoy? If only Harry could get someone else to believe him about that. Dumbledore, and Harry's closest friends believed him, of course, but the rest of the wizarding world remained unaware, trusting a blinded man to lead them in the dark.

"Professor Snape seems to be in perfect health, Harry, as far as I can tell. Is there something troubling you about him?" Dumbledore broke into Harry's introspection.

"There is, sir, though I'm not sure what. Perhaps I will discover the reason when I attend his class later. I suppose I'm just nervous, though." Ginny gave Harry's hand an encouraging squeeze.

"Nervous, Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Yes, sir, about the investigation, and especially about confronting Ms. Umbridge again," Harry glanced down at the words permanently inscribed on his left hand and sighed. "She's not my favorite witch in the world, you know."

"I must confess, she's not my favorite either," Dumbledore smiled, and his eyes twinkled merrily. "Good luck today, Harry. Whatever the results of Ms. Umbridge's investigation, keep in mind the opinion I expressed to you at your last meeting of Dumbledore's Army. You are a superb teacher, and it has been our honor to have you on our staff."

"Thank you, sir," Harry smiled wanly. "Your opinion means a great deal to me, though I do hope she will not find some way to prevent my teaching next term."

"As do I, Harry, but for now, all we can do is perform at our best and place our hope in the goodness of fate."

"Yes, sir," Harry bowed slightly, "I'll see you at breakfast then?"

"I should say so," Dumbledore nodded, "I'm thoroughly famished."

Harry chuckled happily as he left the headmaster's office, but his merriment was short lived. Approaching the Great Hall, the first person he came across was none other than the infamous Severus Snape, fully healed and in a rare bad humor. Harry supposed this investigation wasn't his idea of a welcoming party. Snape's scowl only deepened when he caught sight of Harry and Ginny.

"Isn't there some stipulation about staff members carrying on relationships with students?" Snape reproved them.

Harry narrowed his eyes to survey the cheerless man. There was something distinctly dark about him, an aura of anger, fear, and loathsomeness that seemed harsher than his previous encounters with his least favorite professor. Something about the man's countenance was disturbing.

"I imagine there is a loophole for staff members who are also still students," Harry responded guardedly. "Are you quite well, Professor Snape? You seem a bit off today."

"I assure you, Potter, I am in perfect form, not that your sympathy is at all my concern."

"Ah, of course, well, if you'll excuse us then, Ginny and I would like to go in and eat." The potion's master's scowl turned even darker, if that were possible, and Harry suppressed a shudder with some amount of difficulty. He was quite sure he would not have liked an Occlumency lesson with that man today.

Breakfast was rather uneventful, and all too soon Harry found himself walking Ginny to her first class of the day, Transfiguration, and kissing her goodbye. He descended to the dungeons with some measure of trepidation, his earlier conversation with the waiting professor still pressing in on his mind. Something was definitely off about Snape today. An odd phrase suddenly jumped into Harry's mind as he entered the Potions classroom. _"…They will not even know you are gone from them until it is much too late to rectify the situation."_

Harry could not suppress the shudder this time as a feeling of unparalleled dread spread through him. Neville seemed to be feeling equally distressed about Snape's return as he fiddled with his cauldron fire excessively, eventually burning his shirt sleeve. Snape seemed to take no notice of Neville's predicament until after Hermione managed to extinguish the blaze with a well placed water charm.

"What is going on back here?" Snape sneered as he looked down his hooked nose at the four Gryffindors. "Five points from Gryffindor, each, for making a ruckus in class." He turned and walked away then without a hint of concern for Neville's injured arm or soaking wet robes. Hermione cast a quick cooling charm on the arm and whispered her condolences to their now nearly hysterical classmate.

Class began and Harry noted that the handwriting with which Snape placed today's potion making directions on the board was ever so slightly different from its normal mien. The g's and y's curled too much underneath and the t's were crossed with a waving line rather than a straight one. Could this be a flourish Snape was using to dress up his teaching skills in the presence of the investigators? It seemed an odd change to make.

As the class period passed, Snape seemed bent on restoring the usual pallor of his dungeon environment, and Neville botched his potion so badly he had to be sent to the hospital wing to have the sticky film removed from his skin. He was not sent away, though, until he had been dealt a detention as well. Harry made a mental note to check up on Neville a few times over the course of the day.

Harry paced nervously as he waited for his own students to show up in Defense Against the Dark Arts. The investigators would be here by now, probably up in Dumbledore's office. Any minute now he might, or might not, see Umbridge's face peering up at him. He let Dumbledore's reassurances wash through his mind to combat his raging nerves and sighed heavily when he realized he could not remember what he had planned for today's lesson. He picked up his notes and reviewed one more time, only laying them down when the last of his second years had settled into their seats.

"Good morning, class," He began, "I have some very interesting experiments planned for our lesson today."

Class carried on smoothly from there until the first test of the Hogwarts alarm system was conducted. Startled by the noise, Brittany dropped her wand and the fire-barrier she had been producing deteriorated into a small ball of flame that left a scorch mark on the floor.

"Don't worry," Harry comforted the agitated class. "It's just a test of our alarm system, part of the Ministry's investigation. Did you all receive the notices that were handed out at breakfast?"

The students nodded their common response, but Harry still scowled slightly. "They might have forewarned us a moment ago with an announcement, though, wouldn't you say? We are likely to experience several such interruptions today until lunchtime. Now, let's see. Where were we? Oh yes, Brittany, would you like to try that fire shield one more time? And then Tristan, will you take the next turn?"

Class resumed and Harry deliberated that perhaps fire-repelling charms were not the best idea for today's lesson material. When the time came, he was quite grateful for the opportunity to wrap up the exercise and dismiss the students. His morning break with Ginny awaited. He stepped out of his classroom with visions of her lovely face dancing in his eyes, only to come face to face with doom itself.

"Ms. Umbridge," he gritted his teeth as he acknowledged her, "I can't tell you how… enchanting…it is to see you again."

"Mr. Potter," she simpered, "Just the person I had hoped to run into. I understand that you are assisting Professor Tonks in teaching our younger, more impressionable students. I trust you have maintained a standard of discipline and education befitting this marvelous institution?"

"I suppose you would have to ask the headmaster about that," Harry shrugged, and then feeling slightly rebellious he added, "Though his most recent appraisal included the words spectacular and phenomenal."

"He certainly spoke highly of you in our meeting this morning, though I am anxious to evaluate your performance myself. Percival, that is, Minister Weasley desires a complete report, you know."

"Yes, of course he does. He would not want to let his Master down, now would he? I'm sure all this information about Hogwarts' defenses will come in quite handy when Voldemort plans his attack. Make sure you include in that report that we will still have a few surprises up our sleeves, however thorough this investigation may or may not prove to be."

Umbridge widened her eyes and placed a hand on her heart in a vain attempt to look affronted. "Rest assured, Mr. Potter, the information obtained in this investigation will not pass beyond the hands and eyes of proper Ministry officials. Our aim is to protect this noble institution, not destroy it."

"Yes, there would be no need for it to go further, would there, Ms. Umbridge? As for protecting the school, that obligation, as always, will continue to fall upon the worthy and able shoulders of the headmaster, and I will be there to assist him. You can be sure of that." Without further comment, Harry side-stepped his former Defense teacher and continued on towards Gryffindor Tower. He wasn't sure what had made him say those things to Umbridge. And now that he thought about it, it may have been better to keep his suspicions to himself. But what was said was said, and there was no turning back now to undo it. Somehow, those words simply needed to be said.

Back in the common room, Harry found Ginny bent over some books and a stack of parchments, studying for her OWLs as usual. "Hey Gin, how was class?" he asked her as he sat beside her at the table.

"Snape was a monster! I think his trip to St. Mungo's gave him a renewed sense of nastiness somehow. He nearly made Colin fall off his chair with the insults he slung at him. And Colin's potion really wasn't all that bad. Maybe a slight tinge too dark of a green, but it was green anyway. How about you? How did teaching go?"

"Defense class was great until the alarm testing began. Poor Brittany Maddox dropped her wand. But that's nothing. Snape was nasty to us as well, and Neville ended up in the hospital wing, and then I ran into Umbridge on the way up here. Pleasantries all around, I must say!"

"Poor Harry," Ginny pouted playfully. "Did you have to speak to old toady? Or did she just pass by?"

"Do you really think a woman as spiteful and malicious as her would simply pass by me in the corridor without stopping to harangue me? But I pretty well told her where to hang her hat. How's the studying going?"

"I was just getting started. Want to quiz me?"

"Sure, what could be more enjoyable than an hour of drilling my favorite girl in…what's the subject matter today?"

"Potions," Ginny grunted.

"Oh, fabulous, just what I was hoping for," he teased, and he picked up a book from the stack on the table.

"All right, describe for me the proper brewing of the Dreamless Sleep Potion, its proper color and texture, and its effects on the drinker," Harry read from the book.

"The Dreamless Sleep Potion is made up of Nettle, lacewings, and …I can't remember what else, but it's supposed to be light blue when finished and it causes the drinker to sleep like a baby with no memory of a dream when he awakens."

"No memory when he awakens?" Harry asked looking up at Ginny suddenly, "You mean it actually erases the memory of a dream rather than stopping dreams from coming?"

"I think it's supposed to do both, actually," Ginny said, "Why?"

"Oh, no reason, it's just…" he didn't want to start worrying her over nothing now. "Pomfrey gave me some of that stuff yesterday morning and I could have sworn I actually had some sort of dream, but I can't really remember it now. I'm sure it was nothing, though, just a silly dream that's been erased by the potion if it was ever there at all."

"Some of your dreams are anything but silly, Harry," Ginny countered.

"Yeah, but if it were really important, I'm sure I would remember. All right, next question…"

Harry continued to quiz Ginny for the rest of their hour and then they went down for lunch. A small table had been set up to the right of the teachers' table at the front of the Great Hall and there was a group of witches and wizards around it wearing official looking blazers with gold colored metal name tags. Harry spotted a black-fly hair bow atop a low-seated curly fringe and promptly turned away from the offensive sight only to inadvertently catch the eye of a rather sour looking Professor Snape. Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry as though trying to deduce just what offense might give him the off chance of landing him in detention, but apparently coming up short, simply turned up his hooked nose and continued with whatever conversation he'd been having with Professor Sinistra.

"This is going to be a very long week," Harry complained to Ginny as they reached their seats.

"I agree. The atmosphere around here is decidedly melancholy. Do you think Fred and George would come for a visit if I asked them?"

"With Umbridge here, I would highly doubt it, although I wouldn't say no to a crate of their Filibuster Fireworks just now."

"What a terrific waste of valuable class time," Hermione announced to no one in particular. "I should be in Arithmancy now and here I am, standing in the common room with nothing to do but wait until that old toad is satisfied."

It was two o' clock in the afternoon on Tuesday and the second "Student Awareness Drill" of the day was underway. The first had come as expected at 9:00am, but Umbridge and her associates had expressed their collective disapproval of the speed with which students had moved from the places where they'd been stationed out on the grounds into their house common rooms. So they had insisted on a repeat performance and had refused to divulge the time of day when it would be performed because, "Students will not be forewarned when it's a real dark wizard or creature attacking the school." Professor Trelawney had taken a slight offense to that, but just the same, the second drill had been administered without forewarning. This meant that some students were already inside the school when the alarm was set off, and Harry silently prayed that the investigators would not take issue with that, since the same was also likely to be true during an actual attack.

The last of the Gryffindor students filed in through the portrait hole, their hands pressed over their ears because the noise from the alarm was deafening in the corridors. A few minutes later the alarm fell silent, signaling that all students had in fact now returned to their common rooms. Harry sighed with some measure of relief, both for the absence of the irritating noise, and because the time factor of this drill had been considerably shorter.

A few moments later, Umbridge herself stepped in through the portrait hole and scanned the room with her protuberant eyes. A wide smile spread across her face before she sweetly called out, "Prefects, please bring me your head counts. We must be certain that everyone is here."

The head count was overkill, in Harry's view, since the alarm was charmed to keep ringing until every student had returned to their own common room and fooling it would have required the kind of skill that fooling the Triwizard Cup had taken. But then, someone had indeed succeeded at that, though not a student.

Truthfully, Harry wondered what use Umbridge might have for a headcount of each house's student body. Was she gauging the odds of victory, putting together an approximation of how many students the Death Eaters might have to battle with for a complete takeover? Or was this all for show, part of the "faking of the fight"? He shook his head, 'Perhaps I'm just being paranoid,' he thought to himself. Hermione went around and collected slips of parchment from all of the prefects and held them out to Umbridge. The self proclaimed investigator took them, a look of revulsion on her wide face, and, after stuffing the parchments into her handbag, proceeded to pull out a handkerchief and wipe her hands with it. Harry frowned darkly, and Ron's fists were clenched tightly, a vein in his neck beginning to bulge.

"I would like to take this opportunity," Umbridge smiled her sweetest smile, "to inform each of you of an important new safety measure the Ministry has placed into effect just this week."

An odd cooling sensation began to flow from the amulet Draco had given to Harry.

"In light of the recent attack on this school, as well as other attacks around the country, the Ministry has doubled its efforts to keep the Magical community safe. Aurors have been placed on alert, and a new spell has been developed to allow a witch or wizard who believes him or herself to be under attack to contact the Aurors directly. Simply raise your wand above your head and call out, 'Aggravare Informare,' and an Auror will be dispatched to the location of your wand."

"That's ridiculous," Harry blurted out, not thinking. He really didn't want any attention from this woman just now.

"Excuse me, Mr. Potter?" Umbridge turned to observe him coolly. "Did you wish to say something?" Her tone was demeaning, deliberately condescending, and Harry couldn't help but take the bait.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said, "Voldemort and his Death Eaters," Umbridge went slightly pale at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, and several students drew in apprehensive breaths, "are not going to wait around for their victims to call in Aurors. Even if someone were to manage to use that spell and call an Auror, they'd just disarm him and leave the wand behind. It's a waste of time and public revenues, and it'll stretch the Aurors so thin they won't be able to function."

"Are you suggesting, Mr. Potter, that you know better than the Minister of Magic how to protect the wizarding community?" Umbridge turned up her nose. "Perhaps you fancy yourself the next Minister?" She chuckled to herself, reveling in her little joke.

Harry seethed with fury as he took in her haughty stance. "I am suggesting that this so called 'safety measure' is nothing but another way to keep the people of the community pacified while deliberately sabotaging the Aurors' efforts to locate and detain those who carry out these attacks." He knew he should stop there, but the next words just flowed out of him, like fire from a dragon's nostrils. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were working for Voldemort yourself, giving him as much of a free hand as possible while keeping good witches and wizards everywhere unaware and under-protected."

Umbridge's eyes flashed dangerously and her appearance suddenly seemed less like a toad and more like an overfed cobra, preparing to strike as she raised herself to her tallest height and puffed out her chest slightly. Then, just as suddenly, she composed herself again and smiled as sweetly as ever. "You have always been such an imaginative child, Mr. Potter. But as a member of the staff here at Hogwarts, I would have expected you to have matured a bit more. I shall have to speak to Dumbledore about your appointment. Frightening the students with such sensationalism simply will not do, Mr. Potter." She turned on her heal then, and pushed her way out of the portrait hole, and Harry stared after her angrily. He knew better than to think Dumbledore would listen to anything she had to say. But her insults still infuriated him.


	20. Drawing the Line

**Chapter Twenty: Drawing the Line**

Harry was in the middle of teaching his fourth year Slytherins and Gryffindors on Wednesday morning when "Student Awareness Drill #2" was put into effect. Even though he had been expecting the drill this time, he cursed inwardly at the inconvenience of it all. Not to mention, this really would be an ideal time for a load of Death Eaters, Dementors, and who knows what kinds of Dark Creatures to actually show up while the whole student body was standing out on the grounds, away from the protection of the castle walls. Fingering his wand nervously, he quickly spotted Ron and Hermione and walked over to them.

"How was Ancient Runes, Hermione?" Harry asked conversationally.

"Oh, it was terrific, until Madame Investigator had to ruin it by showing up. She was absolutely horrid to Professor Winters, just because he's a muggle-born like me. Oh, I abhor that Toad Woman!" Hermione was obviously not taking Umbridge's visit very well.

"She's such a cow!" Ron agreed.

"Yes, well this is my third lesson plan this week that has been sabotaged by her ridiculous investigation," Harry moaned. "If any one of my students remembers a single thing I've taught them this week, it will be a miracle!"

"Listen to you, sounding all Professor-like," drawled Draco from behind, and Harry turned around to retort, out of pure habit, but the genuine smile on the Slytherin's face stopped him short.

"Hello, Draco," Harry sighed, "had a good day, have you?"

"Not really," Draco said, sighing heavily. "I think Father's informed Ms. Umbridge of my recent…shall we say…transition…and she's been showing up in all my classes. I swear she's tailing me! She was just in Ancient Runes and…"

"You have Ancient Runes with Hermione?" Harry asked, having never considered Draco the type to take that kind of class.

"Yeah, so?" Draco jutted out his chin and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just didn't know, that's all," Harry fidgeted, fearing he'd offended him. This friendship with Draco was just so new and odd. He had no idea he knew so little about this person whom he had allowed himself to hate for five and a half years.

"Where else has she shown up?" Hermione cut in mercifully.

"Astronomy, Potions, and Charms so far," Draco responded. "I expect she'll be in Herbology this afternoon. At this point, I'd almost miss her if she didn't show up," he added sarcastically.

"Why would she be tailing you, though?" Ron asked him. "I mean, yeah, you've done the whole about-face thing with us, and I'm sure your dad's furious, but what does it have to do with Umbridge, exactly?"

"Don't tell me you don't know what she is!" Draco exclaimed in a deliberately hushed voice. He was glancing from side to side as though to be sure no one was listening.

"She was Fudge's stooge, and now she seems to be Percy's," Harry said, "but as far as I could ever tell, she's just incredibly mean and amazingly short sighted. Are you telling us she's a Death Eater too?"

"She doesn't wear the mark on her arm like most of them do," Draco whispered, "but she comes to every meeting. She's been to Malfoy Manor more times than I can count. She's working with the new Minister, who I'm quite certain is being controlled by Father, and we all know what my father is, so you do the math!"

"I knew she was evil," Harry said looking at the back of his hand again. "But I really didn't think…I mean, some of the Order people even told me she wasn't…"

"Well, even Dumbledore doesn't know everything, Harry," Draco rolled his eyes. "But, like I said, she doesn't wear the mark on her arm. She carries it in her handbag. It's inscribed on the leather cover of her day planner. I've seen it, last year during one of those Inquisitorial Squad meetings. She doesn't know that I saw it, but of course she knows I saw her at Malfoy Manor all those times. She's got to be scared stiff I'm going to give her away!" Draco looked positively joyful to have this kind of blackmail-style knowledge about Umbridge.

"Which, by the way, you just did," Ron pointed out, and Draco gave him a look that clearly said, "Yes, I'm aware of that."

"Well, I suppose we best tell Dumbledore about that," Harry sighed again, "but I doubt it will help anything at the moment. Fudge may have been pompous and incompetent, but at least he was apt to punish a Death Eater once one was identified. Percy practically is one, whether by choice or not, and reporting her now won't do much more than alert the Order to her allegiance. But that's better than nothing."

"Someone should really do something about your brother," Draco nodded toward Ron then.

"He's hardly my brother, anymore," Ron growled under his breath, but Draco seemed to ignore him.

"I mean, if he could be released from that Imperious curse, he could almost be a half way descent Minister…aside from his being a Gryffindor and all."

"The slimy git burned down our house!" Ron continued, then, "What did you just say?!"

"I said, if he could be released…" but Umbridge was passing by at that moment and Draco fell silent, glaring at her as she passed. Harry thought he might have imagined it, but he could have sworn the amulet around his neck was growing colder the closer Umbridge got to them, and warmer again as she walked away. Just when they all thought she was going to step out of ear shot, she stopped, turned around, and walked back, stopping right in front of them. The amulet seemed ice cold again.

"Mr. Malfoy, how good to see you again," Umbridge said and then plastered on one of her horrible smiles.

"Ms. Umbridge," Draco acknowledged her coldly.

"And where are your friends, Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle?" she asked, feigning surprise at their absence.

"These are my friends, Ms. Umbridge," Draco said, indicating the three Gryffindors with a brief wave of his hand. "Vincent and Gregory were nothing more than spies for my father, reporting to him about every little thing I did. Friends keep each other's secrets, Ms. Umbridge."

"Ah," she looked far too happy now, "And what sorts of secrets would your new friends here be keeping for you, Mr. Malfoy?"

"_I_ don't have any secrets anymore, _Ms. Umbridge_, as you can see," there was a culpatory tone to Draco's voice, a quiet, implied accusation to his words, and the slight perspiration that crossed the short woman's brow did not escape Harry's notice. "Secrets always come out eventually, don't they, Ms. Umbridge?" The toad like eyes opened even more widely than usual for a fleeting moment. She took a quick, shaky step backward, but then another broad smile spread across her face.

"Yes, I suppose they do, but once a secret has served its purpose, letting it out does not matter any more. Give my regards to your father, Mr. Malfoy. And tell your mother I shall be seeing her soon." Umbridge sauntered away looking as though she had just won a little victory of sorts, and by the look on Draco's face, she must have.

"What did she mean, she'd be seeing your mother soon, Draco?" Harry asked. Draco's face had been drained of all color, his eyes glossed over slightly, his hands trembling either with fear or rage or both.

"She means she'll be paying Mother a visit, most likely," Malfoy said rather condescendingly, but then he added more quietly, "It was father's way of threatening me." Harry felt sick. After all that Malfoy had been through in order to join the D.A., this was one of the main fears that had driven him to his decision. Harry thought of how he had felt thinking that Sirius was being tortured at the Department of Mysteries, and he suddenly had a great deal of sympathy for Draco.

"Maybe there is something we can do," Harry said. "Send her a warning or something…"

"We?" Draco snapped, "What do you mean we? She's my mother, and this was my choice, my fault." Malfoy shook his head distractedly, "I'll deal with this myself."

"You just told Umbridge that we're your friends," Ron started to say.

"Well, I didn't necessarily mean all of you," Malfoy sneered. Ron, to his credit, ignored that, mostly, aside from the tight grip he suddenly had on Hermione's rapidly whitening hand.

"And friends do what they can to help each other," Ron continued. "So, if there is anything we can do…"

"There isn't," Malfoy barked slightly, but then he sighed again. "But…thanks for offering."

A bell rang then, signaling the end of the drill, and the students began to filter back into the castle. Harry continued to glance over his shoulder, convinced that at any moment some dark creature was going to leap out of the forest or rise up out of the lake and attack the students. He lingered by the doors as other students filed inside, his eyes trained on the horizon, but nothing came. He walked in when all that was left were a few teachers who didn't have lessons to teach this hour. Ron, Hermione, and Draco were waiting for him in the entrance hall, his two Gryffindor friends standing a few paces away from his Slytherin friend.

"What were you looking for out there?" Ron asked Harry as he approached them.

"I don't know, really," Harry said. "I've just had a bad feeling about this investigation ever since Sunday night when Dumbledore sent that memo around to all the staff members. I just can't shake the feeling that Voldemort is behind it."

"Well of course You-Know-Who is behind it," Malfoy said exasperatedly. "How many times do I have to tell you, he's got control of the Ministry now, and no offense Weasley, but the Minister is his personal stooge. And he's sent his top spy to conduct an investigation," Malfoy sighed as though he were explaining things to a very inattentive child. "I mean, what else would it be but a plan of You-Know-Who's to figure out how to bring down the school, and Dumbledore with it?"

"Yes, I've thought of that," Harry said, slightly impatiently. "But I think there's more to it than that. I think you should be really careful this week, Draco, especially in Potions. Something's off about Snape. And he's been gone a while. Who knows who got to him while he was at St. Mungo's?"

"Snape is my Godfather, Harry. He's not going to do anything to me, even if he is in a bit of a foul mood lately. Who can blame him? That Umbridge woman coming in and sitting his class like she owns the place, not even bothering to show her face, hiding under that ridiculous, poorly placed disillusionment charm…What?" The three Gryffindors were looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"We were in potions with you," Hermione reminded him, sounding scandalized. "We didn't see her there. How did you see through a disillusionment charm?"

Malfoy smirked and stood up a bit straighter. "When one knows what to look for, any disguise is translucent," he informed her. "For example, you and Weasley have been hiding something for the last few weeks, been holding it practically in the palms of your hands, haven't you?"

"What? How…I mean…no, we're not…" Ron stammered, and Harry looked at him bewilderedly.

"What have you guys been hiding from me?" Harry asked, a hint of laughter in his voice as he viewed Ron and Hermione opening and closing their mouths like a couple of fish.

"It's nothing, Harry," Hermione said a little too quickly, "at least, we were planning to tell you, but…"

"Great Merlin, what is it?" Harry gaped at them.

"You'll see. It's meant to be a surprise," Ron said as he glared at Malfoy pointedly.

"All right, fine, don't tell me. Or tell me later. Whatever, right now, I have a class to teach, and you three are supposed to be somewhere as well, aren't you?"

"I suppose you'd better get on," Ron said reluctantly, grasping Hermione's hand again as though he would much rather stay. "I couldn't convince you to skive off Runes, could I?" he asked her with his best innocent face.

"I'm afraid not, Ronald. But I'll catch up with you at break in an hour." She pecked his cheek and moved to go.

"Oh, all right, see you later, then," Ron grumbled, and he and Harry watched Draco and Hermione walk toward their class on opposite sides of the corridor, but apparently still conversing as they went.

"So what's the big surprise," Harry attempted to catch Ron off his guard.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," Ron said as he continued to stare down the corridor where Hermione had disappeared from view. "Just trust me on this one, OK?"

"Sure," Harry shrugged, even though he was truthfully dying to know now. Still, his class was waiting. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll see you at break," he said, and he and Ron parted ways as Ron bounded up the steps toward the Gryffindor common room and Harry moved off toward the DADA room where his students were sure to be waiting by now.

Back in his own classroom, Harry was perplexed to find his students sitting stiffly in their chairs being excessively quiet. No one seemed to want to stir in the slightest, and they all watched him meaningfully as he walked to the front of the room. Tonks was in the back as usual, but she was doing something odd with her hands, an improvised signal of sorts, and Harry realized the cause of all this as he took a closer look around the room. Draco was right. Umbridge's disillusionment charm was extremely poorly placed. Her entire outline was framed in a conspicuous blurring of the objects surrounding her immediate person, and Harry had to choke back a laugh when he suddenly heard a distinct tapping and scratching of a quill on a clipboard. 'So I'm being observed, am I?' he thought to himself, and a broad smile spread across his face.

"Welcome back, class," Harry began and the students seemed to be melting out of their frozen state as he spoke in a jovial tone. "I believe we were about to see a demonstration of a proper patronus charm?" Several students nodded numbly.

"Right, may I first ask, are there any here who already know how to produce a corporeal patronus?" There were five D.A. members in the room, and each rose his or her hand, albeit apprehensively.

"Excellent! But five of you isn't nearly enough. By the end of this week, I'll be highly surprised if every one of you can't at least produce an incorporeal light, and hopefully we'll all have it down by next Wednesday. Those of you who know how to do it, please come to the front." Five students walked warily to the front of the room, a few of them casting worried looks over their shoulders at the corner where Umbridge believed herself hidden. Harry smiled at his faithful DA members as they approached, and he whispered in each of their ears the same set of directions. He lined them up at the front and said, "You may begin your demonstration."

"Expecto Patronum," they shouted, and five patronuses, a duck, a raven, a bear, a unicorn, and an eagle sailed out across the room headed directly for the corner where Umbridge was sitting. The tapping and scratching abruptly stopped and a shriek, a crash, and a scrambling sound let the students know that the inspector had just fallen off her chair. Giggles broke out across the room.

"Aren't they beautiful," Harry said of the patronuses as they sailed back toward the front of the room. He was barely suppressing his own laughter, but determinedly ignoring the almost invisible figure in the corner as she returned to her seated position. "Shall we all give it a try then?" The other students eagerly pulled out their wands while the five demonstrators returned to their seats.

"Hem, hem," Umbridge coughed.

Harry ignored her. "Now then, the incantation, as you just heard, is Expecto Patronum…"

"Hem, hem," she was louder this time.

"Does someone need to visit Madame Pomfrey for an antivirus potion?" Harry asked purposefully looking around the room, everywhere but toward Umbridge's corner.

"Mr. Potter," Umbridge called out irritably.

"Ms. Umbridge, is that you? I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot see you."

There was a swishing sound and Umbridge appeared in the corner, having removed her disillusionment charm. Harry feigned a surprised look and then smiled widely as though he'd just seen one of his friends come into the room.

"Oh, there you are," he said. "Was there something you wished to say, Ms. Umbridge?"

"Yes," she seethed, "Don't you think it is quite out of the range of necessary material for students of this age level to be learning the patronus charm?" She seemed to be trying to throw up her usual façade, but she was failing miserably as the sound of her voice was like a strangled whine.

"Oh, no, Ms. Umbridge, I most certainly disagree with that assessment. These students are more than capable, and such a skill has been highly in demand, now that the Dementors serve Voldemort instead of the Ministry." Harry paused as he watched her face turn red and her eyes bulge out at the mention of the Dark Lord. "I believe it was even published in one of the pamphlets put forth by the ministry itself on protecting oneself from an attack."

"That pamphlet was produced by the former Minister of Magic," she derided. "The current Minister, being infinitely more competent and intelligent, has wisely advised that students should not be required to feel as though they have to protect themselves, an opinion which leads to widespread fear and misguided preemptive attacks. The Ministry's aurors are more than capable of producing a patronus for you should you find yourself in need of one."

"The very attack which inspired this investigation was headed up by more than a dozen Dementors," Harry said angrily, "and there were no teachers or aurors on hand to defend the students who were out on the grounds that day. If it had not been for a group of students who did know the Patronus charm, several students would never have made it back to the castle. The aurors didn't show up until after the Death Eaters were practically on our doorstep! If that's what you call protection, then yeah, the aurors are more than sufficiently capable!"

Umbridge donned her disgustingly sweet voice again, "The aurors did not respond because they were not called quickly enough. This is no longer a problem. The Auror Summons spell has been developed since then." She surveyed the classroom with her best imitation of a motherly expression and said, "Don't let recent events or the ramblings of frightened wizards and witches disturb you, children. There is no reason whatsoever for any of you to feel the slightest bit threatened while you are at school."

"If there is no reason for alarm, what purpose does the Auror Summons spell serve?" Harry asked. "It seems a bit over the top to have the aurors available at anyone's beck and call if there is nothing to be afraid of."

"The Ministry is not unaware of present conditions in the Wizarding World, Mr. Potter. But there is simply no cause for frightening these children with tales of Dementors and Death Eaters attacking them with nothing but their own feeble skills to protect them. They should be learning the spell the Ministry has given them for calling for help, not the patronus charm, Mr. Potter."

"Well, it's too bad that we're simply out of time, then, isn't it, Ms. Umbridge. But perhaps we shall work that into our prospectus next week. Good work today, class, and ten points for each of you who helped in the demonstration. Please read the chapter on Patronuses starting on page 396, and have six inches of parchment on the subject ready to turn in on Friday. Oh, and please try to memorize the charm, 'Aggravare Informare', without wands of course, as we don't actually want to call any aurors to Hogwarts unnecessarily. They have enough on their hands as it is, I dare say. Class dismissed."

Harry turned his back on the infuriating woman and began stacking up his parchments and books so that he, too, could leave. "Tell me, Ms. Umbridge," he asked as something suddenly occurred to him, "Why has the Ministry decided to test the dueling skills of the students if the students should not be prepared to defend themselves?" He turned around slowly when she didn't answer, and seeing that she was still there he added, "Can you explain that for me?"

"Well, obviously, Mr. Potter, once an auror has been summoned and the situation verified as an actual attack, the person calling for an auror has the right to help defend himself," she replied almost mockingly. "For that, he would need to know how to duel properly so as not to hex the auror instead of the attacker."

"And might that person also then need to know a patronus charm, should the attacker be a Dementor rather than a Death Eater?" Harry raised his eyebrow at his former teacher, knowing he had just won the debate, and then strode out of the room without another backward glance.

"She was just stalling you, Harry," Hermione surmised when he told his friends at dinner about Umbridge's visit to his classroom. "You told her you would have them all producing a Patronus in a week's time. She just wanted to keep you from achieving that goal."

"Of course she did," Ron agreed, "anything to keep the students helpless long enough for her Master to get here."

"That may be so," Harry said, "but she still ended up on her arse! I wish I could have seen her face when those patronuses came flying at her! Malfoy was right, her disillusionment charm is horrid!" Ginny snorted into her pumpkin juice.

"She should ask you to teach her how to do it, Harry," Neville said smiling. "You could show her quite a few tricks, I'd bet."

Harry grinned at Neville, "I think you could show her a few tricks yourself, Neville. You're far better trained than I believe she is!"

"All thanks to you, Harry. Have you had any word on whether the D.A. will ever be able to reform?" Neville looked extremely eager, and Harry felt bad that his answer would probably let him down for the time being. He exchanged a meaningful look with Ginny.

"Not at any time this year," Harry responded sadly, "But next fall, maybe, if someone else can lead it besides me."

"Why can't you lead it next year?" Seamus asked, and Harry suddenly realized just how many people were listening now.

"It's complicated. But, I would love for the D.A. to continue, if there is someone else who can organize it. I expect I'll be too busy for it, what with preparing for NEWTs and Quidditch and all."

"But you started it in our OWL year," Dean pointed out. "And you were in quidditch then, weren't you?"

"Until Umbridge kicked me off the team, yeah, but I don't think I would have had time for both."

"Nonsense, Harry," Katie Bell chimed in. "But perhaps you're expecting some other assignment to keep you busy?"

"Like what?" Harry asked, wondering how anyone could have found out about his teaching assignment.

"Like being Head Boy, perhaps?" she said with a roll of her eyes.

"WHAT?!" Harry shrieked, and everyone in the Great Hall turned to see what all the shouting was about.

"I am not expecting to be Head Boy," Harry grumbled. "I'm not even a prefect. Doesn't someone have to be a prefect to be named Head Boy or Head Girl?"

"Well, people usually have to graduate before they can teach a class, too, but you've been teaching all this year!" Neville pointed out.

"I've been assisting! Professor Tonks is technically teaching."

"Well, you give the lessons, don't you?" Dean asked.

"Well, yeah…"

"And you write the tests?" Neville said.

"Yes, but…"

"And Umbridge was just in there evaluating you, not Tonks, wasn't she?" Seamus added.

"Yeah, but…"

"And _you_ assign grades to _your_ students," Dean said.

"Well, of course I do, but…"

"What else does a teacher do?" Seamus continued. "You get to do things the rest of us couldn't even imagine doing, Harry, because…well…because you're you, you're Harry Potter…"

"Exactly, Harry, you're the Boy-Who-Lived! Why wouldn't you be Head Boy next year?" Katie summed up all their opinions.

"Why wasn't I made a prefect, then?" Harry asked evenly. He no longer felt any jealousy toward Ron on that issue, but he wanted to prove a point. "Why was I nearly expelled, twice, for doing underage magic? Why have I served more detentions than the rest of you combined?"

"Same reason," Neville said somewhat apprehensively. "Because there are some people in the Wizarding World who think they can pull themselves up the ladder of power by latching onto your bootstraps! Uncle Algie always used to say that people who desire power will either follow or try to destroy those who are already really powerful."

"But, I'm not, Neville!" Harry said exasperatedly. "I'm not all that powerful, really, not anymore than the rest of you lot. Most of you can do any spell I can, and with just as much force behind it. All you needed was the confidence that it could be done."

"Oh tish tosh!" drawled Malfoy from behind Harry's back, and everyone turned or looked up to see him. Harry noticed Neville looking warily at Malfoy and sighed as he realized that not all his friends would forgive as easily as he had, and most of them would never fully understand why Malfoy had changed.

"Don't you 'tish-tosh' me Malfoy," Harry said with a grin as he turned around to look at the Slytherin turncoat.

"I'll tish-tosh you if I bloody well please," Draco grinned back, "What is this rubbish about you not being more powerful than this lot?" he waved his arm disdainfully over the heads of the gathered Gryffindors.

"Draco…"

"No, you're going to listen for once, Potter!" Malfoy barked, and Harry's eyes grew wide with astonishment. His cheeks burned red and he opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. Malfoy smirked and continued, "You are the most powerful young wizard in the world, powerful enough that we are all relying on you," Draco paused and looked Harry right in the eye, "to vanquish the Dark Lord. There is no one else who can do it, and you know it!"

Harry's jaw dropped open. How did he know? How could Malfoy have heard the prophecy? But then, if Voldemort knew a portion of the prophecy, perhaps his Death Eaters did as well, and Malfoy could have gotten it from his father. A chill ran down Harry's spine as he considered the full weight of the prophecy and he shuddered visibly.

"Don't you dare let us down by thinking you can't do it, that you're not powerful enough," Malfoy continued. "You have something You-Know-Who has never had."

"What's that," Harry asked shakily, his eyes fixed on Draco's. He wondered if the Death Eaters knew about the whole prophecy somehow, if all Dumbledore's effort to protect that knowledge last year had been for naught…But then why would Voldemort have worked so hard to get the prophecy if he already had it?

"You have us," Malfoy said, and Harry sighed with relief. "You have friends who would gladly fight and even die for you, not because they fear you, but out of respect, admiration, and loyalty. The Dark Lord doesn't care about anyone but himself. But you have put yourself in harm's way countless times to defend the people you care about. So, not only are you the most powerful wizard any one of us has ever known, but you have the combined power of all of us to back you up. That effectively makes you the most powerful wizard in Europe, possibly the world."

"Dumbledore is loads more powerful than me," Harry replied meekly. "He's the only one Voldemort ever feared."

"Not anymore, Harry," Draco said, his tone low and meaningful. "He's positively petrified of you! That's why he keeps trying to kill you. That's why every time he has you cornered he has to toy with you. He needs to prove to himself that he really is more powerful than you, but he knows he isn't. He's known that since you were a year old."

"I didn't stop Voldemort that night because I was powerful," Harry shouted, his anger kindled. "He was stopped because…" his voice trailed off to nearly a whisper. "…because my mother gave her life to save me. It was my mother whose spell was more powerful than his, whatever that spell was. She's the one who really stopped him."

Malfoy surveyed Harry disdainfully for several moments before he finally replied, "Believe what you want to, Potter, but the truth is as plain as the scar on your head. There is no one but you who can stop him this time. Even if it was your mother's sacrifice that saved you before, she's not here now. You are. You have to do what she no longer can."

"I know," Harry whispered; he sat down and put his face in his hands. "I know…" he repeated.

"And we will all be there to help you," Malfoy said in a quiet voice that resonated through the room. Harry looked up at him. There was no fear or falseness in Draco's eyes, only determination, resignation, and loyalty.

"Thank you," Harry said. He stood up and looked around. Every eye in the Great Hall was focused on him. He was used to this. What he was not used to was the utter determination and complete approbation with which they regarded him, as though they all would like to have said the same thing as Malfoy. Umbridge was glowering at them from the guest table, and Dumbledore was positively beaming! McGonagall had a hand clapped over her mouth, and Hagrid was all red faced and was wiping tears from his eyes. Some of the Slytherins looked mutinous, but in the face of such united opposition, there was nothing they'd be willing to do. As Harry surveyed their faces, the same feeling of brotherly love that he'd had the night of the last D.A. meeting swept over him and he was entirely overcome, tears streaming down his face. Ginny stood up beside him then and took his hand. Then Ron and Hermione stood up. Slowly and silently, every student in the room, except for those few mutinous Slytherins, stood up with Harry and his friends. The teachers stood up after the students had all done so, even Snape, though he looked bothered by it, and last of all, two of the investigative team stood up as well. Umbridge looked furious, but she didn't speak. No one spoke.

"You see, Harry," Draco's voice cut softly through the silence, "Even Dumbledore is standing behind you. We're all waiting for you to tell us what we should do, and we will do it. You don't need an army of Death Eaters and dark creatures to conquer the world. You already hold the world in your hands, because of your heart!"

As Thursday morning dawned, Harry had almost forgotten the scene Draco had caused in the Great Hall the night before. It was only as he stumbled down the steps of his dorm into the common room that he remembered. Everyone was watching him carefully as though waiting for him to do or say something, and students stepped out of his way as he passed by them. Throughout the day people treated him like royalty. Anonymous gifts showed up on his pillow after lunch, a pile of Honeydukes sweets, an alphabetized collection of chocolate frog cards, and a note that said, "From all of us." As he passed through the corridors, students whose names he had never known would wave and call out "Hi Harry," or "Good morning, Potter."

All of this attention did nothing to ease the sense of foreboding that had plagued Harry all week, and the nervousness only increased as the hour approached for the first years to begin their dueling exams. Why the ministry wanted to test them was still unclear to Harry, and the answer Umbridge had given to that question yesterday did not sit well with him. Not only did he inherently not trust the despicable woman, but he had the distinct impression that this investigation was a cover for some bigger plan that Voldemort might have in his quest for power over the wizarding world.

He watched the clock anxiously as he sat in his Transfiguration class that afternoon. As the hour approached three o'clock, he could feel the knots tightening in his stomach. By four he could leave here and go down to the Great Hall as a staff member to observe the testing. Until then, as a student of this class, he had to remain in his seat. His foot tapped nervously on the floor and he absently scratched out the notes that Professor McGonagall was writing on the board, a number of doodles joining the words on his parchment as time wore on. Hermione had to nudge him twice to prompt him to answer a question the Professor had asked him, and he'd had to ask for a repeat of the question. McGonagall seemed to understand how he was feeling, though, and did not take any points away from Gryffindor for his lack of attention, and soon afterward she dismissed the class about thirty minutes earlier than usual. Harry sprang from his seat, shoved his things carelessly into his bag. He dashed out the door without waiting for his friends and headed straight for the Great Hall.

Visions of students falling prey to who knew what danced in his head as he opened the doors to the Great Hall and stepped in. The first years had just begun filing out and the second years were in line waiting for a Ministry member to call them forward for their test. Harry scanned the faces of the first year students carefully, but nothing seemed amiss with them. No glazed over eyes or slack expressions, though a few seemed distinctly unnerved and frazzled, the way any student would after a difficult exam. He breathed a tentative sigh of relief as he watched them leave the Hall and turned his attention to the second years whose exams were just getting under way.

"Hi, Harry," a second year Harry didn't know called out when she spotted him, and Umbridge's attention was immediately called to his presence. 'I should have brought my invisibility cloak,' Harry thought to himself. 'Then I might have caught her in the act. At least if I stay here now, she won't dare do anything to them.' He settled himself into a chair at the back of the hall and crossed his arms in front of his chest, determined to stay here as long as it would take to keep an eye on the proceedings.

He realized as he scanned the head table every few minutes that he needn't have worried so much. Dumbledore was there, in his usual seat, watching with an absently amused grin on his face while the students exchanged spells with their test givers, clapping from time to time when a student, usually a DA member, outsmarted his or her opponent. Other Professors wandered in and out during their free hours as well, though Snape did not make an appearance at all.

Harry's lower extremities were beginning to feel numb when the examiners finished with the second years and called for the third year students to come in. The door opened and a number of students filed in. Brittany Maddox waved cheerfully when she saw Harry, as did Dennis Creevey and Tristan Hammley. Harry nodded to them in response and smiled when he saw Umbridge scowl again. He was impressed with how his students conducted themselves during their exams. Brittany held herself proudly, shoulders square, with confidence in her eyes. Dennis didn't fidget or fumble. And it gave Harry quite a reason to smile when Tristan disarmed Ms. Umbridge within the first thirty seconds of her test.

The third years completed their testing and the teachers stood up to move the house tables back into place for dinner. Harry approached Dumbledore then, and the old man smiled merrily.

"I still think something isn't right about this investigation," Harry said quietly as he stood beside the headmaster and waved his wand at the Slytherin table to scoot it over a little further to the left. "And Professor Snape is not himself this week, sir."

"I would have to agree, Harry. I called a meeting of the order just yesterday, but Professor Snape, who has never missed a summons before, did not show up," the headmaster said. "When I questioned him about it, he said that he was too busy catching up after his absence to attend."

"That doesn't seem like Snape to me," Harry frowned. "Do you think someone could have done something to him while he was at St. Mungo's, Professor? An Imperious curse or some type of personality altering potion?"

"It is not likely that Professor Snape was the victim of an Imperious curse, Harry, as he would be almost as quick to throw it off as you yourself would be. As for potions, there are few that I know of that would alter a person's personality, and none so very slightly as what we are seeing in Severus."

"Perhaps he is simply not well yet," Harry offered.

"Perhaps. Some injuries leave scars on our minds long after they have healed in our skin," Dumbledore said wisely.

Harry nodded, but then he frowned. He knew what it was like to bear invisible scars from his own past. And while that was certainly something that had altered his life and personality, he didn't think it was quite the same type of change as he'd seen in Snape. And from what he'd seen from Ginny's memory, Snape's injuries had not been that extensive. Surely the Potions Master had survived worse in the course of his work for the Order. And no injury would be likely to alter a man's handwriting ever so slightly. Things just didn't seem to be adding up, and once again, that nervous, edgy feeling began to settle into Harry's stomach.

"It just doesn't make sense," Harry said aloud. But just then, the students began to file into the Great Hall for dinner, and Harry spotted Ginny in the crowd.

"We can discuss it later, Harry. I'm sure Professor Snape will be fine. You go and enjoy your dinner with your friends. You'll want to keep up your strength for the exam you'll be taking tomorrow," Dumbledore said cheerfully.

A second wave of dread washed over Harry then. How could he have forgotten the NEWT level exam he was supposed to take in order to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts next year? In all his worry over the investigation, it had slipped his mind entirely. Harry attempted to give the headmaster a reassuring smile, which probably came off as more of a grimace, and headed over to the Gryffindor table where Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were waiting for him expectantly.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Ginny asked when she saw his anxious looking face. "Were the dueling exams really bad or something?"

"No, amazingly enough, the dueling exams were simple and straight forward, and nothing odd happened at all," Harry responded quietly.

"What is it, then?" Hermione prompted, and Harry looked at her apologetically.

"I totally forgot about my NEWT exam in Defense tomorrow," he blurted out without thinking.

"YOUR WHAT?!" Ron and Hermione shouted in unison, gathering the attention of several curious onlookers.

"Since when are you taking a NEWT exam in your sixth year?" Hermione asked in a slightly jealous voice.

"And when were you going to tell us?" Ron added sounding offended.

"Like I said," Harry replied with a sigh, "I totally forgot about it until Dumbledore reminded me just now. I have to take it tomorrow." He lowered his voice so that only Ron, Hermione, and Ginny could hear him. "Can we go to the Room of Requirement after dinner? I need you to help me study."

"Sure, Harry, but why are you taking it at all?" Ron said.

"I'll tell you when we're up there," Harry responded. Harry's friends ate their supper quickly while Harry picked at his food absently, his appetite having been squashed by the amount of anxiety he'd been through so far today. When Ron finally pronounced himself "stuffed" the four of them exited the Great Hall and made their way up to the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy and paced in front of the opposing blank wall until the door to the room appeared. Harry pushed it open and found himself in a miniature replica of the Hogwarts library. A single table surrounded by four chairs sat in a corner of the room by a window that showed the sun setting in the west. The rest of the room was surrounded in bookshelves filled with Defense books.

"All right," Harry began when the door was finally closed and locked. "Here's the deal. I've been asked to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher next year, so I have to take this test…"

"You're already teaching defense," Ron cut in. "Why do you suddenly have to take a test to do it. Did the Ministry pass a new decree or something?"

"I've technically been assistant-teaching this year. Tonks is the professor. I just…help…at least as far as the Ministry is concerned," Harry explained. "But Tonks is needed in the Auror department now that Kingsley's gone. She can't teach next year, so…"

"So they asked you?" Hermione sounded incredulous.

"Blimey, Harry," Ron said, "I don't think Hogwarts has ever had a student be a Professor before graduation before. How is Dumbledore getting away with it?"

"You'd have to ask him, I suppose. McGonagall just said that I'd have to take this exam and get at least an E on it, and then I'll have to begin attending all of Tonks' classes for all seven grade levels for the rest of the term."

"How on earth are you supposed to be able to do that?" Hermione asked, disbelief etched into her face.

"The same way you took all those classes in our third year, Hermione. With this," he responded as he pulled the time turner out of his robe pocket and held it out before them. Hermione immediately snatched it out of his hand and examined it thoroughly.

"I…I think it's the same one…" she finally said, her voice an awed whisper and her eyes wide as she turned the amulet over in her hand. "Look, it has this scratch on the side here. That happened when we used it to save Sirius from the Dementors."

"You're sure?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," she said, "I…I think you had better not let Umbridge or anyone else from the Ministry see you carrying this, Harry."

"Why's that?"

"Well, if McGonagall's given you the same one she gave me, then she probably never sent it back after I was done with it. They're very rare, and very highly regulated by the Ministry. It would have been too risky to ask for another one, given the state of affairs at the Ministry now. It was hard enough to get this one when Fudge was around. I really think they haven't told the Ministry that you have this, Harry. It's probably registered to Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore. If someone from the Ministry found this on you…"

"They'd probably claim I'd stolen it, I imagine," Harry sighed. "Well, whatever the risk, McGonagall said there was no other way for them to qualify me for the post. I have to do this, Hermione. If Dumbledore can't find a descent Professor, who knows what kind of idiot the Ministry will try to foist on him? We don't need another Umbridge around here. Someone has to help the students prepare for the…the day when…when they may need to defend themselves." He couldn't quite bring himself to voice his greatest fear, that Voldemort would attack the school personally some time in the near future.

"And there's no one better for the job than you, Harry," Ginny said confidently. "Just look what you've done with the D.A.!"

"Thanks, Gin," Harry said with a small smile. "So, will you guys help me study tonight?"

"Of course we will, Harry," Hermione answered, and the four of them sat down at the table and began opening books.

"Keep an eye on the clock, though," Harry added as he began looking in a book titled, _Defensive Magic and Its Proper Uses_. "I don't want any of us to miss our dueling exams."

"What a shame that would be," Ron said sarcastically. "It'd be terrible if we didn't show up to give Umbridge a preview of what we can do so that she can report it to her Master."

"Well, we don't exactly have to show everything we know, do we? We just have to show up to keep from being expelled," Ginny said in a low, conspiratorial voice.

"Exactly," Harry agreed. "Besides, from what I saw of the second and third years' exams, they aren't expecting much. In order to test every student in a class within forty five minutes, they can't spend too much time on each one. Just use the disarming spell and call it good, I'd say."

"But will that really work?" Hermione asked. "She knows us; she'll be expecting more of us."

Harry shook his head as he replied, "I don't really think the purpose of this is to gather information on the skills of the individual students as much as to simply give the appearance of doing a thorough investigation. Voldemort would never give much thought to the skills of mere students. He would assume superiority from the start. The thing I fear most is that this whole week is just a cover for something else, a distraction to keep Dumbledore's eyes off the Wizarding World for a few days while he's fully occupied with happenings here."

"The _Daily Prophet_ has been oddly quiet this week," Hermione mused. "What do you suppose Vol..Voldemort is planning, Harry?"

"I haven't a clue. But I'm certain we'll find out before the end of this week."

As Harry predicted, the dueling exams were simple and straightforward. Nothing they were asked to do would have shown the true level of their skill, let alone revealed anything to their enemy. Harry grew nervous as he watched Draco step up to Ms. Umbridge for testing. He imagined Draco getting hit with some irreversible curse or deliberately flunked by this woman who was in league with Draco's father. But nothing happened, and Malfoy managed to disarm Umbridge within a few seconds of the start of his exam and then proceeded to hold her at wand point for a little longer than was necessary. Only when Dumbledore called out, "Well done, Draco, you may go now," did the Slytherin lower his wand and walk away, a look of pure venom shadowing his pale face as he exited the Great Hall.

Harry would have liked to catch up with Malfoy just then, but he was called to the front at the same moment for his own exam. By the time he'd finished disarming the wrinkled old wizard before him and left the Great Hall himself, Malfoy was nowhere to be found. Assuming he'd gone to the Slytherin common room, Harry waited on the steps with Hermione for Ron to come out. Then the three of them returned to their own common room and collapsed into their usual places by the fireplace. Neville and Luna were already there, looking rather comfortable together on their sofa.

"Hey Neville," Harry said, realizing how long it seemed since he'd last had a chat with his roommate.

"How's it goin' Harry?" Neville returned absently, his eyes fixed blankly on the fire, his fingers laced in Luna's long blonde hair.

Ginny came down from the girls' dormitories just then and snuggled up next to Harry. "Hey guys, how was the dueling exam?" she asked.

"Boring and irritating," Ron replied.

"Complete waste of time," Hermione agreed.

"So what's on the old toad's agenda for tomorrow?" Ron asked Harry.

"A written exam," Harry responded as he stroked Ginny's soft locks. "It's to test us on how much we've learned this week about emergency procedures."

"Oh joy," Ginny sighed. "Well, nothing much to worry about there, though, is there? I mean, it's kinda harder to harm a student during a written exam than during a practical one like tonight's, right?"

"Certainly," Hermione said. "I think Harry's right. This is all just a show. And there's been nothing at all in the _Daily Prophet_ lately. Whatever is going on, they're doing an excellent job of keeping it hushed up."

"What are you reading the _Prophet_ for, anyway?" Luna asked airily. "_The Quibbler_ has had plenty to report. Here, take a look!" She pulled a copy of the most recent edition out of her book bag and extended it out toward Hermione.

"Thanks," Hermione sighed, taking the paper from Luna. "I suppose it's worth looking, anyway." She scanned the articles carefully, muttering as she read. "Let's see now, Hinkypunks loose in the forbidden forest, no, a mad Hippogriff attacks a werewolf, well, they're a little late with that one…hmm…Heliopaths in the Dark Lord's army…no, no, no…I'm sorry, Luna, but this rubbish really doesn't help us any."

Luna frowned and took the magazine back from Hermione, but rather than putting it away, she turned to a specific page and laid the volume open on the table between their sofas. "You missed this one, I think," she said lightly, pointing to the headline.

Hermione leaned forward to read and her eyes grew wide. "Ministry officials accused of being in league with You-Know-Who, Minister of Magic suspected as well?" she read. "Holy crickets, who wrote this article?" She scanned the page a moment longer before crying out, "Rita Skeeter?!"

"She still works for Daddy sometimes, gives him his best articles. Go on, read it," Luna encouraged.

"She accuses half the Ministry of being in league with the Death Eaters in here," Hermione summarized. "She's on the right track, but this is just too many…I don't think…But she's got Percy right…."

"What's she say about Percy, Mione?" Ron asked anxiously.

"That she thinks he's either a Death Eater himself or he's under a particularly strong Imperious curse. She says he's deliberately sabotaging the Ministry's ability to fight against the Dark Lord; she calls him the Dark Lord…not You-Know-Who…I wonder why?"

"Never mind what name she uses for the Old Snake," Ron said. "At least someone else out there has figured out that Percy's not doing things right. But I'll tell you one thing! If he's not under an Imperious Curse, he's going to have a lot to answer for next time I see him!"

"I really think Malfoy's right about the Imperious thing," Harry commented casually. "It just seems to make sense to me. Percy wouldn't have burned down the Burrow like that on his own. He may have been upset with your parents for their involvement in the Order, but I really don't think…I mean…"

"He was very angry with our parents," Ginny reminded Harry.

"Yes, but wasn't that just because he thought I was lying and Dumbledore was foolishly believing me?"

"He also wanted to stay in good with Fudge and the other Ministry people," Ron said. "Had high ambitions, he did."

"OK, but who would go and burn down their parents house if they were trying to get positive recognition for advancement within the Ministry?" Harry asked.

"Good point," Neville jumped in. "Seems a pretty backward way to go about getting public sympathy to say that someone framed him for that, doesn't it?"

"Exactly," Harry said. "It doesn't add up, Percy's ambitions and beliefs, verses his recent actions. It just doesn't make any sense, what he's been doing, unless he really is doing it because he's being forced to. Either they've got something big to blackmail him with, or he's being controlled by the curse, and Draco said his father was boasting about being in control of the Ministry just a couple of weeks ago. The most logical conclusion is that Lucius Malfoy is controlling Percy."

"Which means the most logical solution is to release Percy from that curse," Hermione added.

"Yeah, but for that," Ron replied, "we'd need to remove him from harm's way as well, so they can't just put him under the curse again as soon as he's free of it."

"It would help to put the source of the curse behind bars," Ginny suggested.

"Good luck keeping him there," Harry said. "We already did that last June, and he was out again before we were even home from Hogwarts. How do we keep him there once he's been captured?"

"Well, who's to say we'll ever have the chance to put him back in Azkaban?" Hermione said. "Besides, that's the Order's job to worry about him, along with the rest of the Death Eaters. Ron, we have to go do our patrol."

"What patrol?" Ron asked, his mind not fully focusing on Hermione's last statement.

"Prefect patrol of the corridors, Ron? Honestly, after almost two years, you should remember this by now…"

"OH…oh…right, sorry. I guess we'll talk to you guys later. We're on duty now. See ya," Ron stammered as he rose from his seat and followed Hermione out the portrait hole.

Harry and Ginny said goodnight to Neville and Luna then and ascended the stairs to the landing between the boys' and girls' dorms. Harry pulled Ginny into his arms and nuzzled her neck, enjoying the feel of her hair tickling his nose.

"This investigation will all be over tomorrow," he murmured, "and I'll take that test, and then starting Monday, I'll barely get to see you anymore."

"We'll find ways to see each other, Harry," she comforted him. "It'll be fine. And it's only for May and June, right? After that we'll have all of summer to spend together."

"True," he agreed. "I can't imagine where else your family will stay this summer. Have your parents said anything about rebuilding or anything?"

"They haven't said a thing about the Burrow since Christmas. I don't know what's going on there. They always write stuff about working hard and missing us and all, but never anything specific. Not even a hint about anything important. But you know how it is, being in the Order and all, they have to be careful what they write in letters."

"Yeah, I know. Well, whatever the decision for your family's living arrangements, they're certainly always welcome at my house," Harry said.

"Thanks, Harry," Ginny replied. "You better get off to bed, though. You need your rest tonight, big day tomorrow and all."

"Right, right," Harry muttered. He kissed her gently, then turned and ascended the steps into the sixth year boys' dormitory. He pushed the door open and stepped in. Neville and Ron's beds were empty, of course, but Seamus and Dean were both fast asleep. So Harry tip-toed across the floor to his bed and very quietly changed into his pajamas, trying not to wake them. He was just settling into his bed when Ron came charging through the door, slamming it open and shouting.

"Harry, Harry, it's Snape…and the Toad…get up…come on!" Ron roared.

"What on earth?" Dean exclaimed groggily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"What's all the shouting about?" Seamus asked.

Ron ignored them and started pulling Harry out of the dormitory. "Ron, could I at least get dressed before we go running off somewhere?" Harry asked irritably.

"What? Oh, whatever, here!" Ron threw Harry's robes at him. "Throw that over your PJ's and let's go!"

Harry pulled his robes on and checked for his wand in the pocket. Finding it there, he followed Ron hurriedly out of the room with a murmured apology to Dean and Seamus on the way out.

"What's all this about?" Harry asked when they had joined an irritated Ginny and an anxious looking Hermione by the portrait hole. Neville and Luna were gone, and he presumed Neville was walking his girlfriend back to Ravenclaw's common room.

"We were on patrol just now," Hermione began to explain.

"And we went down into the dungeon corridors because Ernie and Hannah wouldn't," Ron added.

"And Snape was down there in his office as usual," Hermione continued.

"And Umbridge was with him," Ron said. "And they were talking about…about…."

"They were spreading some kind of potion all over the test papers," Hermione exclaimed. "And Umbridge almost got some on her finger or something…"

"Right," Ron took over again, "And Snape yelled at her to be more careful, and said…"

"What on earth are you to trying to tell me?" Harry broke in.

"Snape and Umbridge are poisoning the test papers with a potion that will cause anyone whose skin comes into contact with it to be under the express control of V..Vo..Voledmort!" Hermione finally finished.

"WHAT?!" Harry couldn't believe his ears. "Snape's been off lately, but he's a member of the Order! He wouldn't do that!"

"Snape's been off all right," Hermione said. "Off the grounds entirely, if you ask me!"

"You mean…" thoughts were swirling around in Harry's mind now, something about a dungeon, a cell, the Dark Lord, and a prisoner…a spy…Hadn't Draco said Umbridge was a spy for Voldemort?

"Snape said something to Umbridge about his son, that his son would soon be coming back to him," Hermione continued. "But as far as I know, Snape has never had any children of his own. He only has Draco as his godson. But he didn't say godson. He said son."

"Snape never came back at all," Harry said, starting to put the pieces together. "He's being impersonated by someone else, someone whose son has been estranged to him…"

"Someone like Malfoy?" Ron suggested.

Harry's eyes caught Ron's and a complete vision suddenly burst into Harry's mind. "Snape's in the Dungeons of Malfoy Manor, Lucius is here disguised as Snape, and Draco is in very real danger!" Harry concluded, his hands trembling as he spoke. "And the investigation is a cover for something that is going to happen right here, tomorrow, when the students take that test! We have to stop them! We have to tell Dumbledore!"

"Dumbledore and McGonagall are in London tonight," Hermione sounded almost desperate. "They had to report to the Ministry as part of the investigation!"

"How dreadfully convenient," Harry said. "Look, tell someone, Flitwick, Winters, Trelawney, Tonks, anyone and everyone. Get all the Prefects informed, and the Head Boy and Head Girl. I'll assemble the D.A. They need to know. Voldemort is going to attack the school within the next twenty four hours, and with the headmaster gone, there's a good chance he'll be here tonight! Go!"

Ron and Hermione raced out of the portrait hole again and Harry pulled out the fake gold galleon he'd never stopped carrying in his pocket. He tapped the galleon with his wand until it read, "Room of Requirement, now!" across the bottom, then gave it one last tap to make it warm up. Praying his D.A. members hadn't all disposed of their galleons, and taking hope in the fact that all those who'd returned from last year's group had still had theirs, he ran with Ginny to the Room of Requirement and they paced quickly in front of the bare stretch of wall that hid the door. The door appeared, and Harry opened it to find a room nearly the size of the Great Hall, though without the fancy ceiling charms, and surrounded in dark detectors of all kinds. There were sneak-o-scopes, and foe glasses, and all kinds of odd looking amulets, all humming and showing shadowy images of Umbridge, Snape, and a couple of the other investigators from the Ministry.

A few students wearing befuddled and sleepy expressions began to wander into the room then. Dean and Seamus came among the first group, and Seamus' jaw dropped when he saw all the dark detectors showing them who their foes were. Soon nearly half of the D.A. had arrived, and Harry couldn't wait any longer. Draco still wasn't here. Something might be detaining him. Ron and Hermione stepped in breathlessly just as Harry made his mind up.

"I have to find Malfoy," Harry said to them as they stopped in front of him. "None of the Slytherins have come! Something's wrong."

"We couldn't get into Slytherin's common room to find their prefects. I think they've changed their password," Hermione reported. "Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw prefects, Head Boy and Head Girl have been informed. The Head Girl has gone to get the teachers."

"Good," Harry said. "When it looks like everyone is here that's coming, get them up to speed. You lot will have to do something about those test parchments. Burn them if you have to. But don't let Umbridge or anyone else know what you're doing, or we'll all be toast. I'm going to the Slytherin common room to find Malfoy."

"I'll come with you," Ginny offered.

"No, I need you here," Harry said. "If anything's happened to Draco, you'll know through the bond. I might need you to send help for me."

"And someone send Hedwig to Dumbledore immediately!" Harry called as he ducked out of the room and raced down flights of stairs toward the dungeons. He didn't bother trying to conceal his footsteps until he had arrived in the Entrance Hall and was approaching the steps that lead to Snape's classroom. He hoped he would remember where Slytherin's common room was. Draco's amulet was growing colder again, and when he pulled it from within his robes he saw that its emerald eyes were glowing brightly, confirming that something was indeed going on down there. He finally found the bare damp wall that he remembered was the entrance he needed, only to realize that he didn't have a password or a Slytherin to invite him in. "What now?" he said out loud.

Just then, two big, beefy arms emerged from behind the wall, took hold of Harry's forearms, and pulled him through.


	21. The Dungeons of Malfoy Manor

**Chapter Twenty One: The Dungeons of Malfoy Manor**

"I've got 'im, Crabbe," a larger version of Gregory Goyle called out as he dragged Harry into the room.

The Slytherin common room looked much as it had four years ago with its rough stone walls and green chain-hung lamps. The most noticeable difference being that it was filled with students who were pressed up against the far wall, cowering under the wands of several dark robed, fully grown wizards. Crabbe senior was standing in the center of the room, the sleeve of one arm tied up at the elbow, his remaining arm slung around Draco Malfoy's neck, pulling so tightly it seemed Draco could barely breathe.

"Well, well, well, how good of you to join us, Mr. Potter," Crabbe said. "The master will be ever so pleased. Take his wand, Goyle."

'Ginny' Harry projected his thoughts desperately, 'Slytherin common room…Crabbe and Goyle…help!'

She didn't respond in worded thoughts, but he could sense her anxiety and knew she had heard him.

Unwilling to surrender his wand so easily, Harry flipped it into his hand from where it was tucked in his sleeve and cast a quick, "Stupefy," over his shoulder at Goyle senior. The man holding him slumped to the floor, nearly pulling Harry down with him. Having lost his balance momentarily, Crabbe senior took the opportunity to shove something round and blue-glowing into Draco's hands. Harry, guessing what it was, rushed forward and grabbed hold as well. Harry's suspicion was confirmed when he felt the familiar tug at his navel and was suddenly thrown into the whirling voids of space.

He landed with an "Umph," barely managing to stay on his feet. One look around told him where they were even before Draco announced, "Great, I'm home at last!" in a very sarcastic sounding drawl. The gloom of the Malfoy Manor dungeons was palpable as Harry surveyed the dank walls, the chains that hung from those walls within rusty looking cell bars, and the straw strewn dirt floor.

"It's a veritable palace, Draco," Harry teased, "You should have invited me sooner."

"Right," Draco drawled, "I'll just go tell Mother we have company then. Come on, the stairs are this way, so long as we're not locked in."

"Is there any chance at all that we're not?" Harry asked disbelievingly, and sure enough, the door Draco pulled on remained very firmly shut. Draco's attempted "Alohomora" didn't budge it an inch and Harry's "Bombarda" just bounced off and slammed into an empty cell door behind them, knocking it off its hinges.

"Don't kill us trying to get us out of here, Potter," Draco sneered, but the smirk died on his face as the two Death Eaters, Crabbe and Goyle senior, popped into the room on a second portkey.

"Bloody hell, Goyle, can't you get anything right? How'd those teachers know where to find us?" Crabbe senior complained to his companion.

"It must have been Potter," Goyle said. "He must have contacted someone before coming down."

"What's the matter, you two lose your rubber duckies?" Harry taunted them.

"POTTER!" the two Death Eaters screamed before both lunged stupidly at him. Seeing the perfect opportunity, he cast a stunner that brought them both down with one spell.

"Not bad, but now how do we get out of here?" Draco said.

"It's your house, Malfoy," Harry reminded the other, but then an idea occurred to him. "Where did that portkey go?" Harry looked around on the floor. "If we find it before it expires, maybe it'll take us back to your common room."

"It was just a rock," Malfoy said, "It could be any one of these on the floor here."

They started looking through the rocks scattered around on the floor, hoping to find one with a bluish tinge to it, but to no avail. Frustrated, Harry grasped the bars of a cell to pull himself up off the floor. Just as he was getting to his feet a cold, rough hand suddenly grasped his own. Following the arm that was attached, Harry found himself staring into the paler than usual face of the Potions Master, Severus Snape. The fact that this Snape was behind the bars of a cell was good evidence that this was the real one.

"P..P..Professor," Harry stammered. He'd never seen the man looking quite so forlorn. "Are..are you all right, sir?"

"Oh, I'm just peachy, Potter!" Snape declared sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "The keys are over there," the tall, thin man pointed to a hook on the wall near the door that Draco had been tugging on earlier.

"Right," Harry said. He began to move toward the door when sheer, unfathomable pain seared through his forehead, seeping into his neck and shoulders and down into his finger tips. He gripped his wand tightly and pointed it at the door, knowing without a doubt who was about to come through. "He's here!" Harry cried as his knees gave way beneath him.

Draco scrambled across the floor to where Harry was now kneeling, both hands pressed up against his forehead, barely hanging on to his wand. "Who's here?" he asked in a tone that begged Harry not to say what he knew he would.

"Voldemort is coming," Harry croaked, his voice hoarse as his throat threatened to close. "And he's extremely happy!"

The door swung open with such force it left a crack in the stone wall behind it. Bits of stone and mortar crumbled to the floor as at least a dozen black clad figures rapidly pounded into the dungeon. Behind them, a dark presence emanated into the room even before its owner stepped lightly onto the straw strewn floor, his steel toed boots stopping inches from Harry's knees. From the corner of his eye Harry could see two Death Eaters advancing on Draco. One grabbed Draco's wand and ripped it forcibly from his hand. The other shoved him against the bars of Snape's cell. A ghastly pale, putrid smelling, long fingered hand clasped Harry's chin and dragged it upward until Harry was forced to stand or be choked. Rising to his feet, Harry found himself face to face with his mortal enemy.

"Welcome, Mr. Potter. I have been so very anxious to see you again," Voldemort hissed into Harry's ear. "I apologize for the rather rude manner of my invitation, but, I did of course have some reservations about your willingness to attend the little gathering that I have organized in your honor. Nevertheless, here you are. And finally, the fun can begin. Well done, Draco, your father will be most proud."

Harry snapped his head around to look at Draco. The Slytherin's head rested between two metal bars, the large hand of the Death Eater holding him pressed against his throat. His eyes flashed with fear and anger.

The Dark Lord waved his free arm and two of his followers were instantly at his side. "Bring him," he told the two. "Leave the others here for now."

Harry was hoisted off his feet and carried to the open door. A long narrow stone staircase rose beyond the door, and at the top, they emerged into a tremendous hall, lavishly ornate and sparkling from the bright light of the enormous chandelier overhead. The Death Eaters set Harry on his feet on the polished marble floor and shoved him forward toward a tall wooden door, about twice the height of a normal man. The door was carved with intricate designs and symbols and was as heavily polished as the marble floor, shining with the chandelier's reflected light. The door opened seemingly of its own accord and Harry was thrown into the darkened room beyond.

Voldemort stepped into the room with Harry and pointed his wand at the fireplace at the far end. The fire that had been smoldering there sprang to new life with green flames, casting its eerie light along the walls and furniture. The room was as large and long as the Great Hall of Hogwarts, and far more lavishly decorated. There were several bookshelves hewn from the stone walls which spanned their height from floor to ceiling, with long thin stone planks to hold up the books. Between the rows of books were glass front cabinets filled with numerous trinkets, shrunken heads, potion bottles, amulets, and other odd objects which Harry thought some people at the Ministry would be keen to find out about, at least they would have been, before Percy. The floor was of the same polished marble as the hall outside, flecks of grey, white and pink glistening with the green light of the fire and the white light streaming from the open door behind them.

"Leave us," Voldemort ordered, and the two who had escorted Harry stepped out of the room and closed the door.

"Ah, Harry," Voldemort said, "so predictable. Yes, Draco will make a fine addition to my ranks, most assuredly. And his father will be ever so proud. He has led you right to me, like a moth to the flame."

"Draco swore an oath of loyalty," Harry countered, knowing the mind games his enemy was apt to play. "He's my friend. You cannot convince me that he was faking all of that."

"Ah, yes, the oath of loyalty," Voldemort laughed coldly. "But he holds a life debt from you as well, does he not? He is essentially free of his oath, having fulfilled it by rescuing you. It was ingenious, really, how he lured you into this false security, convinced you to trust him. After all your years of enmity, it could not have been an easy thing to do, but I told him you would forgive. You and that old fool Dumbledore are both the same, far too willing to extend the laurel leaf to anyone who asks for it."

"Draco is my friend," Harry cried, desperation beginning to cling to his thoughts. Had he been a fool? Could this all have been an elaborate hoax, all part of the revenge Draco had sworn he would get? Harry thought back on all the times he'd looked the Slytherin in the eye, searching for the emotions that are so often written there. Had he only imagined that fire of determination, that need to make amends? Or had he merely misinterpreted it? And what about the things he'd said in the Great Hall only yesterday? Draco's words echoed in his mind once again, "He's positively petrified of you! That's why every time he has you cornered he has to toy with you...We will all be there to help you…You already hold the world in your hands, because of your heart!" Harry looked up into the snake-like face of his enemy. The gleaming red eyes, so full of deceit and malice, there was no truth in them.

His mind made up, he asserted his opinion with finality. "He will not betray me. And I will not betray him, either. If there is one thing I know, it's that love is stronger than fear. You cannot make me fear my friends."

"Such a blind fool," Voldemort said as he turned to face the fire, its green light casting a curling shadow of the dark wizard across the glassy floor. The shadow almost seemed to take on a life of its own as it slithered and played across the floor to the whim of the crackling fire. "Servants!"

The same two Death Eaters that had carried Harry into this room returned at Voldemort's call. "Invite our gracious hostess and her son to join Mr. Potter and me!"

The two guards left and returned again a moment later, bringing Narcissa and Draco Malfoy along with them. There did not seem to be any struggle involved. After bowing to the Dark Lord, the guards stepped out of the room again and closed the door. Draco looked forlorn as he cast glances between his mother and his father's master. Harry caught Draco's eye and silently pleaded with him.

"Young Malfoy, how good of you to join us. Mr. Potter here assures me that you are his friend, that you would never betray him," Voldemort said mockingly. Then he added, "But you have served me well, and I am most pleased. Perhaps it is time we let our dear Harry here in on our little secret, shall we?"

Draco looked from Harry to his mother to Voldemort, and then cast his eyes to the floor. The struggle within him showed itself in the slump of his shoulders and the tightening of his fists. He gave Harry a long, pleading, desperate look, and Harry realized then, that Draco's mother's life depended upon how her son answered this question. A fury such as he'd not known before erupted within Harry, a fire that burned of indignation and contempt for the horrible choice he now recognized Voldemort was asking Draco to make. And something else suddenly occurred to Harry as well; no one had taken his wand from him yet. It was still there, clutched in his right hand, just waiting to be used. 'How could Voldemort have made such an error?' he wondered, but without further thought on the matter, he stretched out his wand hand toward Voldemort and cried, "Expelliarmus."

Voldemort was ready for him, as though he had been waiting for this. "Avada Kedavra," he cried, a thrill of triumph flashing across his ashen, lipless face. The green light of Voldemort's spell met the red of Harry's, just as it had before in the graveyard two years previous. The two wands with twin cores connected, the light between them turning to a shimmering gold, a bead of light traveling along the golden thread, gradually making its way toward Harry's wand. An instant too late, Harry knew his enemies mind. His hand seized up around the wand so that he could not let go, and he had no choice but to concentrate his efforts on pushing the bead of light toward his enemy's wand.

"Now, Draco, just as we planned it," Voldemort sneered. "Kill him, and you shall be rewarded beyond measure. All that is your father's will be yours. You shall stand on my right hand, and I will place you above all my other servants. The brethren will bow to you as they do to me, or they will suffer our mutual wrath! Power, wealth, fame, all shall be yours."

Draco stood silently, staring at the arcing ray of light that held Harry's wand in contest with the Dark Lord's. He did nothing, said nothing, and Harry wondered what exactly was going through the other boy's head. Was it true? Had Voldemort been working through Draco all along to bring them both to this moment?

Harry willed himself to believe in Draco. He had trusted him, counted him a friend, played thirteen games of chess, invited him to Grimmauld Place…he had trusted Draco this far, his only hope was to do so again. With all his might he focused on the bead of light, pushing it back toward Voldemort's wand, little by little.

"Kill him, Draco," Voldemort shrieked. "Or you and your mother will die along with him. You know too much. You will not leave this Manor alive unless you do as we have planned all along! Kill him!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Draco raise his wand, point it directly at himself. Fear overtook him as a sickening smile spread across his enemy's face. The bead of light began to slip closer to Harry's wand.

"I'm sorry Harry," Draco said, his voice strangled and choked with unshed tears.

"No," Harry cried out. "Draco, no…" The bead of light drew nearer Harry's wand, and the wand vibrated uncontrollably, growing hot like an iron rod in the fire.

"I have no choice, Harry. There's no other way," Draco sounded desperate.

"That's right, young Malfoy," Voldemort hissed, thoroughly pleased. "It's time for you to fulfill your destiny and take your place at my side. Do it now, Draco. Think of all the things he's done to you, all the misery, all because of this Harry Potter. He deserves to die!"

Draco raised his wand.

"No Draco, no!"

Draco's lips were moving, an incantation beginning to form. Time seemed to slow as dread, fear, and betrayal took over in Harry's mind. He wondered how he could have been so blind. How could he have let Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater, schooled in the Dark Arts since he was old enough to hold a wand, a Slytherin to the core, rich, powerful, and greedy…how could he have let this boy into his inner circle of friends? How could he have trusted him?

The words issued forth, and Harry heard them, but did not register what was said until later.

"Ulterio Dimentia!" Draco cried out, and in a flash, the wand was no longer pointed at Harry but at Voldemort. Taken entirely by surprise, Voldemort wrenched his wand upward and broke the connection to Harry's wand. He pointed it at Draco, the words forming on his lips as Draco's spell hit. Voldemort froze, as if turned to stone, wand out and words half spoken.

"What?" Harry breathed, "What did you do?"

"We have to get out of here," Malfoy said quietly, the edge of guilt still clinging to his voice. Harry stared at the other boy. Malfoy had some serious explaining to do, but this was not the time.

Draco turned to his mother who was staring at the frozen form of Voldemort, a look of absolute terror stretched across her thin face. "Mother, please, forgive me. I couldn't do it. The Dark Lord would enslave us all. I can't join him."

"Draco, what have you done?" Narcissa whispered darkly. "You…you have betrayed the Dark Lord…you have betrayed us all!"

"Mother, please," Draco begged her, "Please, come with us. They'll torture you, kill you, please…"

"You have betrayed me!" Narcissa screeched. "Foul, loathsome, blood traitor! You are no son of mine. If the Dark Lord punishes me for the disgrace that you have become, then so be it. Your father was right; I failed in rearing you! We gave you everything you desired, taught you in the old ways! But you are an unfaithful, treacherous snake! Get out of my house and do not darken my doorstep again! Get out!"

"Mother, no, please…you don't understand…please Mother! They're wrong! They're wrong about everything. My destiny was never with the Dark Lord. You should not be made to suffer for my decision. Please, come with us. Dumbledore will protect you. He will keep you safe from them. Please…"

"I SAID GET OUT!" Narcissa screamed, hair flying from the perfect knot on the back of her head, her well powdered face shining and red. Draco blanched and stepped away from her. He reached out a shaky hand to her as though to beg her one last time, but she turned her back to him.

"You are not my son," she said stoically, all emotion instantly gone from her voice. "I have no son."

A single tear fell from Draco's eye, then wiping it resolutely away, he too steeled his emotions and said flatly, "Let's go, Potter. We're wasting time. We only have an hour from the time the spell is cast until he returns to normal."

Harry looked from Draco to Mrs. Malfoy, worry and puzzlement clouding his thoughts. But Draco was already headed for the door, and Harry knew there was nothing he could do. This was between Draco and his mother, and both had their minds made up.

Draco wrenched the door open and stunned the two guards in a single fluid motion. Harry stepped gingerly over the body of one that had fallen across the threshold to follow Draco into the grand Entrance Hall that they had passed through before. The dazzling light from the chandelier flickered as its thousands of candles danced in the breeze from the open door at the far end of the hall. Draco pointed his wand at that door and cried, "Colloportus." It slammed shut and the breeze was snuffed out.

"All right," he said. "We'll have company soon enough. You can do a decent disillusionment charm, I'm told. Is that true?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. He was shaken and confused by the events that had transpired in the previous room. He had no clue what to think of Draco now. What had Voldemort meant by all of that talk? Had Draco really been planning to kill Harry all this time? Had he only just now chickened out? And yet, here Harry was stuck with no other escape but one that involved trusting Draco one more time.

"Good, do it," Draco said, referring to the charm. "I can do my own. We'll have to sneak out quietly."

"What about Snape?" Harry said, the reality of their predicament returning to him. "Shouldn't we rescue him? He is your Godfather, after all."

"How are we going to do that?" Draco asked incredulously. "He's in the dungeons, surrounded in Death Eaters. We can't go in there!"

"Well, if we can sneak past the guards at the front door, why can't we sneak into the dungeons? We'll ask Snape to make us a portkey and get us out of here from there."

Draco scratched his head as though he was confused. "You do know that he carries the dark mark on his arm, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know all about that. But he's your Godfather, isn't he? And they've got him locked up down there. I really think they mean to kill him."

"Of all the people to risk your neck for, Harry, I wouldn't have thought it would be him," Draco said, shaking his head in disbelief. Harry smiled, wondering how surprised Draco would be to find out about Snape's work as a spy for the Order over the last two years.

"Come on, there's another way into the dungeons over here." Harry followed Draco to a dark corridor which shadowed a narrow archway behind which was a set of small stone steps.

"Cast your disillusionment charm now," Draco whispered. Both boys cast their charms and disappeared into the shadows. The whisper of muffled footsteps could be heard as they descended the thin and winding steps ever so slowly and silently. They stopped at a tiny door, just large enough for the average man to duck through. A key seemed to produce itself from nowhere and it turned in the lock. The door swung open, and slowly, slowly, they peered inside. There were six or so Death Eaters standing near the door that Harry had been dragged through on the way up. He guessed there were probably others stationed on the other side. The keys to the cell doors were still on the hook by the other door. Harry found Draco's shoulder with his hand and pulled him back into the stairway.

"How come we didn't use this door before when we were trying to get out of the dungeons?" Harry asked in a hushed whisper.

"Because you can't get out from here, only in," Draco replied quietly. "How do you propose we get the keys? These cells are charmed so that they can't be opened by magic."

"We'll have to get Snape to make the portkey first," Harry whispered back. "Then we'll summon the keys at the last minute so they won't have time to stop us."

There was a long pause. Then two rocks seemed to fly off the floor and into the air, hovering waist high. "I have a better idea," Draco said. "We'll make two portkeys, one for him and one for us. That way we don't have to bother with the keys."

"Fine by me," Harry said, "Let's go."

Harry swallowed hard, knowing he was about to encage himself in that dungeon again, but he couldn't very well just leave Snape there to die. He steeled himself against the fear that threatened to turn his feet in the wrong direction and took a step closer to the dungeon entrance. The two boys crept silently into the room, tiptoed across the straw covered floor, and inched their way toward Snape. The professor sat in a corner of his cell, his elbows resting on his knees, his head in his hands.

"Professor Snape," Harry whispered as they drew closer. Snape looked up suddenly, casting around for the source of the whisper.

"Professor," Harry whispered again, "It's me, sir, Harry, and Draco's here too."

Snape crawled over to the bars and slowly stood up, following Harry's whisper. "Where are you?" Snape hissed back.

"We're right here," Draco said quietly. "If you make two portkeys, we can all get out of here. Take my wand and these two rocks." The wand and the rocks seemed to hover in the air where Harry could only assume Draco was holding them up. Snape snatched them from Draco's invisible hand and glanced around the dungeon apprehensively, surveying the wizards who stood guard at the door.

"What are you mutterin' about over there, Snape?" Crabbe senior said, and Snape froze.

"He's got a wand," a female voice shrieked. Harry knew that voice. He sucked in a breath. "Stop him, he'll get away!"

Suddenly a tremendous roar of anger shook the very foundations of Malfoy Manor as though an earthquake were working its way through the estate. In the same instant, a blinding pain erupted from Harry's scar. Harry's knees buckled beneath him, and he fell to the floor.

"KILL THEM!" Voldemort's cry filled the air, echoing through the entrance hall above them. "FIND POTTER AND YOUNG MALFOY AND KILL THEM!"

The Death Eaters dashed up the stairs to begin searching the Manor.

"I thought you said we had an hour," Harry chided Draco.

"Yeah, well, he's the Dark Lord, he makes his own rules!" Draco replied.

Bellatrix, her husband and his brother suddenly stepped back into the dungeon.

"I think we've found them already," Bellatrix sneered. "Come out, come out, little Potter!"

She waved her wand and cried out, "Accio Potter!" and pointed her wand in the direction of Snape's cell. Harry found himself beginning to slide across the floor. Bellatrix spotted the shifting straw and cried out, "Finite!"

Harry's disillusionment charm dissolved and he found himself looking up at the heavy lidded eyes of the last woman he ever wanted to see again. He scrambled to his feet and pointed his wand at her.

"Stupefy," he yelled, but she ducked the red ray of light that flew at her. It hit the floor instead, causing the straw to smolder.

"Incarcerous," she returned. Using the reflexes born of his years of Quidditch training, Harry ducked and rolled out of the way of the cords that sought to bind him. The heavy ropes fell to the floor, devoid of prey, and Harry raised his wand again.

"Expelliarmus," he said, aiming carefully. She ducked again, and Harry began to recognize a pattern to her movements.

Snape was trading spells with the Lestrange brothers from within the confines of his cell, throwing up a shield whenever a spell was cast his way. Harry had no idea where Draco was, but He was certain it was only a matter of time before Voldemort and the rest of the Death Eaters heard the commotion in the dungeon and came down. He ducked another curse from Bellatrix and raised his wand again. Expecting her to try to dodge him, he hesitated, aimed at her chest, and then threw himself sideways in anticipation of her next move.

"Stupefy!" he cried. The spell caught her square in the chest and Harry felt a brief swelling of pride at his triumph. But then the pain in his scar suddenly increased tenfold and the pounding of many feet on the narrow stone staircase across the room confirmed that Voldemort and his Death Eaters had figured things out.

Snape managed to stun the Lestrange brothers and summon the keys to him. He unlocked the cell door and stepped out, but in the same moment, the door at the other end of the room flew open and countless Death Eaters ran single file into the dungeon. Voldemort stepped in after them and surveyed the room. With a sweep of his hand he moved the three Lestranges out of his way and then eyed Harry maliciously.

"Did you really think you'd get away from me so easily?" Voldemort hissed. "You and _all_ your friends are going to die!"

'Ginny,' Harry cried out in his thoughts as desperation and terror threatened to seize hold of him. 'Ginny can you hear me?'

_Harry? Where are you? What's happened?_

'I'm at Malfoy Manor, in the dungeons. We need help. Voldemort's here!'

_Hold on, Dumbledore's here now. We'll send him to you._

Voldemort's wand was raised; the words were forming on his lips, "Avada Ked…"

A series of popping sounds announced the arrival of a dozen or more wizards and witches, all wearing the red and gold insignia of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore himself apparated directly between Harry and Voldemort.

"…davra!" Green light flew from Voldemort's wand. Harry leaned around Dumbledore, aimed and cried, "Expelliarmus," but too late. The red light of Harry's spell sailed away toward Voldemort, but it did not connect with the green light of the Killing Curse this time. Time itself seemed to slow down, and Harry watched in horror as the green light struck the headmaster full in the chest. He heard someone scream out, "NO!" And then he realized that it was he who had been screaming. The tall, ever strong, ever valiant wizard suddenly crumpled to the floor like a great old oak felled by the logger's stroke. Harry stared at the open eyes and blank expression of his mentor, his protector, the greatest wizard he had ever known, and his mind would not comprehend it. Every fiber and sinew of his body rejected the notion that Albus Dumbledore was mortal enough to…to…

A great cry of fury erupted from Harry, built of all the feelings he'd ever buried inside of himself. Cedric, Sirius, his parents, Kingsley, and now, even Dumbledore, all had died because of him, because of the prophecy, because of Voldemort! He raised his eyes from the still form of the magnificent wizard at his feet, his great teacher and friend, and locked his gaze with the horrible, triumph filled, blood red eyes of Voldemort. His mind brought forward the image of every loved one, every person who'd ever been dear to him, his friends, his schoolmates, his teachers, the Order, the Weasleys, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Neville, Luna, Ginny…. Ginny! A rage of indignation rose within him like a wave cresting before breaking upon the rocky ledge.

A great white-gold circle of energy instantly sprang up around Harry, surging and powerful, spectacular and brilliant. It pulsed in a rhythmical fashion, thumping in time with the heavy beating of Harry's heart. A beautiful song filled his ears, calling to him, whispering as though to instruct him, the song of the phoenix, Fawkes. He recognized it from the Chamber of Secrets; he remembered it from the graveyard after the Triwizard Tournament.

Harry raised his wand within the great circle of light and spoke, "Afficere Adouren Intrinsicus!" He had no idea where the words had come from, but they felt right falling from his tongue, and the instant he spoke them, the powerful circle of light swelled to include every person in the room who had come to protect him, as well as Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy, whose disillusionment charm melted away as soon as it came into contact with the magical light Harry had produced.

Words flowed into Harry's mind again, and he spoke them aloud, "Portus tout-ham a Hogwarts!" The light spread out across the room, striking Harry's enemies like a giant sword, and they fell all at once, collapsing to the floor in a great heap. In the same instant, Harry felt a tug at his navel as though he had touched a portkey, and he watched as all his protectors began to be lifted from the floor. He grabbed the arm of his fallen headmaster and allowed the sensation of whirling through time and space engulf him.

A split second later he found himself lying face up in the middle of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. One glance around confirmed that all the wizards and witches from the Order who had come to his aid had also returned with him. Something was clutched in his left hand and he looked down at the limp arm of the headmaster, encircled about with the words, "I must not tell lies." His gaze followed the arm in his grasp to the shoulder, and then the neck, and finally the expressionless face of Albus Dumbledore.

"Professor," Harry cried out as he got to his knees, tears welling up in his eyes. "Professor, please…please…you can't die, you just can't! We need you too much, sir!" He threw his arms around the lifeless wizard and hugged him. "Please," two huge tears fell from Harry's eyes onto the aged man's forehead, but the old wizard didn't flinch, didn't wipe them away. "Please, wake up!" More tears dropped onto Dumbledore's face, and still he didn't move at all.

A great feeling of shock, fear, and shame engulfed Harry as he began to come to grips with what had happened. Dumbledore was dead, dead like Sirius, dead like Harry's parents, dead like Cedric. He was dead because he had put himself deliberately in front of Harry to stop Voldemort's spell. He was dead because Harry had not cast his own spell soon enough to connect the twin wands. He was dead because of Harry, and Harry could no longer hide the misery and the anger and the utter grief that he felt. He sobbed over the lifeless body of his headmaster as every ounce of his pain flowed forth from his own body and filled the room as his cries echoed through the Great Hall. He could feel the stares from the people around him, but he didn't care about them. Dumbledore, the greatest and wisest wizard he had ever known, was dead.

Someone was lifting him up, and someone else was prying his arms off the headmaster's body. He resisted them, but they were stronger. Red hair on the one side, and blonde on the other told him who was leading him, and he let Ron and Draco take him. As the hospital wing drew closer, he groaned weakly, but they ignored him and led him inside. Madame Pomfrey directed them wordlessly with a wave of her arm and a nod of her head, and they sat him on the nearest bed. He swung his legs up without further argument and stared at the familiar domed ceiling without really seeing it. He could only see in his mind the slack, expressionless face of Professor Dumbledore and could only feel the pain of his regret.

The door opened and closed and Harry heard the quick, sharp footsteps of Professor McGonagall. His grief swelled at the prospect of informing his head of house of the outcome of the events at Malfoy Manor.

"Poppy, where is he?" McGonagall asked.

"He's right here, Professor," she responded. McGonagall strode over to Harry's bedside and regarded him worriedly, her lips pressed firmly in a thin line.

"And where is Albus?" she asked, turning back to the resident healer.

"He's in the Great Hall, Professor, but…"

Professor McGonagall ran out of the hospital wing faster than Harry had ever seen her go. He pressed his eyes shut and willed the image of Dumbledore's face to leave him, but to no avail, and moments later he felt the hot, sticky tears streak down the sides of his face and drip into his ears as a second cry of grief filled the castle. Never in six years had he heard Professor McGonagall cry. He had imagined to himself that it was simply something she would never do. But the sound of her voice as she wailed was unmistakeable.

"NO ALBUS, NO" she cried, and her voice ricocheted through the castle corridors. It seemed to reach every ear within Hogwarts as her words evolved into sobs, "No…no…no!"

And more angry, hot tears dropped from Harry's eyes and into his ears and hair.

The infirmary doors flew open again and two pairs of footsteps approached. Long red hair and bushy brown hair came into view and Harry tried to smile for Ginny, but he could not do it. Instead, more tears broke free and he cried, "Ginny, oh Ginny…."

"Harry!" both girls cried, and they threw themselves onto him, both at the same time, surrounding him in their arms.

"He's gone…he's gone…there was nothing I could do…" Harry sobbed.

"Who's gone, Harry?" Hermione asked, straightening herself up.

"Professor Dumbledore," Draco said quietly, and there was a slight quiver to his voice.

"What do you mean, Professor Dumbledore's gone?" Hermione asked, and Harry could hardly blame her for not believing the most obvious answer to that question.

"He's dead," Draco said, and he coughed to hide the grief in his voice. "The headmaster is dead. The Dark Lord killed him."

"No…" Hermione breathed disbelievingly. "No… it can't be…he…he couldn't…he wouldn't…no…."

"It's true!" Harry sobbed into Ginny's shoulder. "He was trying to protect me. He placed himself in the way of Voldemort's curse. He's gone."

"Oh no…no…" Hermione was sobbing quietly into Ron's shoulder now. And Harry distinctly heard Ron sniff and saw the cuff of his sleeve move upward as Ron began to wipe his own tears away.

Ginny was crying freely on Harry's shoulder, having sat in front of him on the infirmary bed. A solemn silence fell over the five students as they allowed their minds to process the horrible truth. Ron and Hermione staggered over to the bed and put their arms around Harry and Ginny. Draco took a step closer and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. And they all cried together for a long time.


	22. A Second Look

**Chapter Twenty Two: A Second Look**

"Aargh!" Harry pulled away from the embrace of his friends as blinding pain erupted from his scar. He clamped both hands to his forehead and winced.

"What's going on, Harry?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"It's Voldemort," Harry cried as he slid off the hospital bed and began to move toward the doors. "He's here!"

"WHAT?!" his companions all shouted at once.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ron said.

"What'll we do?" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry turned to face them, "Alert the D.A," he said. "And find someplace to hide. He may already be in the castle."

Hermione took out her coin and performed a complicated charm to make the face of it resemble Voldemort and write the words "He's here" in the space where the date and time of a meeting would normally appear.

"What do you mean by, 'find someplace to hide'?" Draco rebuked Harry while Hermione was charming her coin. "We have to do something. The school is under attack!"

"I have to do something," Harry countered him. "This is my fight!"

"You can't do it alone," Draco warned.

"I can't let anyone else die, either," Harry said as he began to move toward the doors again.

"Oi," Ron exclaimed, and he quickly moved to stand in front of the exit, "You're not going anywhere without me!"

"Nor me," Draco agreed.

"And we're coming too," Ginny said as she and Hermione walked over and stood in front of the boys.

"There will be no need for any of you to go anywhere," Harry argued. He pulled the time turner from within his robes, twisted the dial four times, and disappeared.

In a flash of light, Harry found himself standing in the hospital wing exactly two hours previous to the moment when he'd told his friends that Voldemort had come to attack Hogwarts. He tucked the time turner back into his robes and set to work. Right about now, he knew, he and Draco were trapped in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor, battling the Lestranges just before Voldemort broke free of the curse Draco had placed upon him. This was the moment when he called for aid through the bond with Ginny. He turned and raced through the doors of the hospital wing and down through the school's corridors in search of the headmaster. He had to stop Dumbledore from dying at all cost if the school was to survive what was coming that evening.

He guessed he'd find them near the dungeons, based upon the events that he assumed took place while he and Draco had been at Malfoy Manor. He had set the D.A. to the task of destroying the test parchments that were being laced with potion in Snape's office. As expected, he found them all in the corridor outside of the potions classroom. He waited in the shadows, keeping himself out of sight and watched Ginny's face for the tell tale far away look that would indicate she had heard him call to her through their bond. He held his wand over his head and whispered the incantation for the disillusionment charm as he waited.

As soon as he saw Ginny's eyes loose their focus, Harry sprang into action. Just as Fawkes swooped down onto Dumbledore's shoulder, Harry placed his invisible hand on the old man's forearm and held fast. The bird, the headmaster, and Harry were instantly whisked away to the Headmaster's office.

"Harry, would you kindly show yourself, please?" Dumbledore said in an amused voice. Harry removed his disillusionment charm and looked up at the man who was moving brusquely toward an open window and pointing his wand toward it. A silver light shot out of the end of Dumbledore's wand before the old wizard turned back to look at Harry.

"Now that we can both see each other," Dumbledore smiled pleasantly but eyed Harry carefully, "would you kindly explain how it is that I have just sent someone to save your life at Malfoy Manor, and yet, here you are?"

"What do you mean you sent someone to help me, it was you who came!" Harry exclaimed.

"It was not me, or I could not be here with you at this moment. Would I be correct to assume, Harry, that you are here now by use of the time turner you acquired from Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said, his mind reeling from the effort of putting together the pieces of this puzzle. "If you didn't save me at Malfoy Manor tonight, who did? And why did he look just like you?"

"He looked like me because I needed Voldemort to think he had destroyed me. It was Peter Petigrew who came tonight to save you, Harry."

"But Petigrew died in the Chamber just after Christmas!" Harry was beginning to wonder what had become of his sanity. Perhaps the alteration of time was affecting him adversely.

"No, we staged Petigrew's death in the Chamber after Christmas. It worked for him once; we figured it was worth another try." The headmaster's eyes were twinkling merrily as he observed the confused expression on Harry's face.

"Let me start from the beginning," Dumbledore said as he pulled his pocket watch from within his robes. "I believe we have about an hour and forty five minutes before we need to have sealed the entrance to the Chamber, do we not?"

Harry nodded numbly and sank shakily into the nearest arm chair.

"When you and your friends discovered Petigrew was impersonating Mr. Filch in order to gain entry into the Chamber of Secrets, it became clear to me and to the Order that Voldemort was planning something that had to do with the school. Intelligence operations since that time have revealed exactly what we suspected, that Voldemort would try to attack the school sometime during the Ministry's investigation of Hogwarts, most likely the last day. Given the summons of Professor McGonagall and myself to the Ministry on the eve of the final day of the investigation, we assumed it would happen tonight. We knew Professor Snape had been replaced and that our young Mr. Malfoy was key to the success of Voldemort's plan. But we also knew that our dear Draco has been playing the double agent for some time now."

"He said you were teaching him Occlumency," Harry muttered.

"Yes, Professor Snape has been training him vigorously since the Christmas holiday, preparing him to face Voldemort should he ever have to. We had also hoped to save his mother, but alas, one cannot be rescued against one's own will."

"If you knew all of this, why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked, awestruck.

"Because you had to accept Draco on your own terms. I couldn't ask you to forgive him on my word alone. I made that mistake before and the result was that you and I both lost a good friend and ally."

"Sirius," Harry sighed.

"Yes, and I couldn't risk losing you to the same mistake. I allowed you to use your own judgment and said nothing to Remus that might have gotten back to you. I took a chance on the goodness of your character, and so far, it has turned out for the best."

"Why did you let them take us to Malfoy Manor?" Harry asked.

"I never intended for them to take you, Harry, only Draco. Draco knew that he would have to go back eventually. He wanted to save his mother, and I wanted him to bring Severus back to us."

"That little snot!" Harry exclaimed.

"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrow at Harry.

"He let me think saving Snape was all my idea, when that was what he went there to do in the first place!" Harry said, a twitching at the corners of his mouth belying his outrage. "I can't believe he did that to me!"

"He is, after all, a Slytherin," Dumbledore smiled as he spoke. "And Slytherins do have their beneficial uses. Being cunning and smooth is often far more appropriate in a given situation than being brave and daring, Harry. If anyone was going to succeed at getting Professor Snape back to Hogwarts, I knew it would be Draco Malfoy."

"Yes, I suppose so," Harry murmured, replaying the events at Malfoy Manor in his head once more, trying to piece in this new information. "So, it was Petigrew, disguised as you with, I would guess a Morphus Draft, who threw himself between me and Voldemort's killing curse?"

"Yes, Harry, it was. Even Remus Lupin does not know that Petigrew survived the Chamber incident. Petigrew was petrified when Remus found him. There is another basilisk down in the Chamber, a very small one, born of Mr. Longbottom's toad and one of Hagrid's chicken eggs. It was part of Voldemort's plan for capturing Hogwarts. He was always fond of his basilisk, and was most displeased to learn you had killed it. Petigrew was sent to breed a new one and then to assist Voldemort's entry into Hogwarts by digging a tunnel from the chamber to the forbidden forest."

"Wouldn't that take an awfully long time to dig a tunnel so far?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Not when one knows the proper spells to perform," Dumbledore said. "The tunnel was ready long before the first Hogsmeade visit, and Petigrew used it to enter the chamber and feed the basilisk. That day that you and your friends decided to follow him into the Chamber, he had run short of time. Mr. Filch is a busy man around the holiday season, assisting with the cleaning and decorating of the school, and Petigrew was finding it difficult to keep up with those duties and keep the hungry beast in the chamber satisfied enough that it would not go searching for an exit to find its own food. If the snake had escaped the chamber, it might have been discovered, or lost, and Voldemort would not have been happy about either of those outcomes. So he took a chance during dinner one night at using the lavatory entrance that he knew we were regularly patrolling. You and your friends followed him, and Professor Snape followed you."

"And gave us all detentions," Harry murmured.

"Rightly so, Harry. You should not have been down there endangering your lives. Nevertheless, your little excursion did help us learn what was going on. When I sent Remus into the chamber to find out what Petigrew had been up to, he discovered the tunnel, the young snake, and a petrified Scabbers, whom he assumed to be dead. I had Madame Pomfrey prepare me some Mandrake Draft from the Mandrakes that, thankfully, we already had on hand, and gave some to Scabbers the Rat. Upon regaining his mobility, Petigrew transformed into his true self and confessed to me all that he had done. I then forced him to swear an oath of loyalty to me to be fulfilled when I called for him. He has taken up residence in the Shrieking Shack since then, a fitting place for him to recall the life debt he owes to you. Tonight, when Professor McGonagall left to report to the Ministry, she took Petigrew, disguised as myself, with her, though she did not know that it was him. And it is Petigrew whom, I do believe, should be arriving in the Great Hall with you and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix right about…now!"

As if on cue, Harry heard the sound of his own voice echoing painfully through the corridors, "Professor, please…please…you can't die, you just can't! We need you too much, sir!"

"It seems we are beginning to catch up with ourselves now," Dumbledore sighed. "Come, Harry, we have a Chamber to seal before our anticipated guest comes in through the back door."

Harry stood up numbly and followed the headmaster through a portrait hole at the back of his office. They descended a long, narrow stone staircase and came to a stop at a small wooden door. Dumbledore pushed the door open and stepped quietly through, indicating with a finger to his lips that Harry, too, should be as silent as possible. They stepped out into the corridor that had housed the three D.A. rooms up until the Ministry's investigation had begun and moved silently along toward the door to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Good evening, Myrtle," Dumbledore said to the ghost as though he had come just for a visit with her. "How are you tonight, my dear?"

"Oh, hello Professor, hello Harry, it's so good of you both to come and visit me. I've been so dreadfully lonely. The other ghosts are ignoring me as usual, the insensitive pricks! Sir Nicholas of course was kind enough to invite me down for the Bloody Baron's annual End of the School year celebration, but I don't think I'll go. The Grey Lady is certain to tease me about my hair again. As if I could do anything else with it, being that I don't actually have any tangible hair. Just because she was lucky enough to die when hers was all done up nicely, straight from the hairdresser's…" Myrtle continued on in this vein, seemingly oblivious to the tasks to which Professor Dumbledore had set himself. Even as Myrtle was bemoaning that she had not only died in pig-tails, but also while wearing a school uniform and socks that didn't match, the old Professor was waving his wand at the sink fixture that covered the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. In an instant, the fixture was transformed into a great bolder, a tiny stream of water running down its side like a waterfall bursting out of the mountainside from a spring buried within. The snake that had been carved into the faucet now appeared at the base of the bolder, near the floor.

"Well that certainly won't do," Dumbledore mumbled as he gazed crossly at the snake carving.

"Exactly as I was saying to the Bloody Baron last night, Professor," Myrtle continued, seeming certain that the headmaster was responding to her most recent complaints. "Peeves simply should not be allowed in here, ever. This is my home, the only place of privacy I have! He comes in here and the only recourse I have is to blast him with water until he leaves. Then, of course, Mr. Filch gets all upset, and I know you've asked me before to be kinder to that old goat, but you know he never considers my feelings at all when he comes storming in here, raging about the water on the floor…"

The headmaster muttered something under his breath and pointed his wand at the boulder he had conjured. A stone wall stood in its place now. There was a brick missing at the top out of which the water pipe flowed, and the snake carving was clearly evident on the brick just to the right of the gap. The headmaster frowned in concentration and aimed his wand again. With another wave and a mutter the brick wall became a gargoyle statue, water springing from its mouth like a fountain, the snake carving revealing itself on the left forearm like a glistening tattoo.

"This simply will not do," Professor Dumbledore cried.

"It most certainly will not," Myrtle agreed. "Mr. Filch should take control of the situation if you ask me! Peeves has been a menace for as long as he's been in existence, but that doesn't mean we should just stand by and allow him to have free reign in the school. Why, just the other day…"

Professor Dumbledore frowned again and stared at the snake carving on the arm of the gargoyle.

"Professor," Harry said quietly, "Is there some way that I can help, sir?" Myrtle fell silent and began watching the pair of wizards quizzically as though she had just now realized that neither of them had been listening to her at all.

"Perhaps there is Harry," the headmaster replied. "We need to find some way to seal this entrance, but I simply cannot force the sink fixture into a form that is devoid of the snake carving. Without the snake, the fixture will not respond to Voldemort's command to open. But it seems to be charmed in such a way as to prevent the removal of that snake. What would you suggest?"

"I noticed you continue to allow the water pipe to flow," Harry said. "Perhaps there is a connection?"

"That, too, seems to be beyond my ability to control. The carving was placed upon the faucet of the sink fixture. The charm upon the snake seems to have transferred itself to the object upon which the snake was carved."

"I do have one suggestion, sir, though it's just a guess. May I try?" Harry said.

"Certainly, Harry," Dumbledore agreed and took a small step backward. "What did you have in mind?"

"Hagrid told us that Unicorns are the natural enemies of snakes," Harry replied.

"Yes, this is true," Dumbledore agreed and eyed Harry quizzically, one hand stroking his long beard.

"I think it would be easiest if I were to simply show you, sir," Harry continued. Dumbledore nodded his approval and Harry aimed his wand at the Gargoyle statue. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the dream he and Ginny had shared so many times, muttered the transfiguration spell, and slowly opened his eyes again. Standing before him was the water fountain with the Unicorn statue in the middle, water flowing from its magnificent horn. The snake carving had found its way onto the Unicorn's left foot. With another wave of Harry's wand, the hoof came down and stamped upon the snake, crushing the head of it on the basin's floor.

"Well, it seems you have managed to do what I could not, Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling more brightly than Harry had seen them in a long time. The headmaster smiled warmly and patted Harry on the back. "Well done, Harry, very well done indeed. Voldemort will not be able to enter through here now."

"Couldn't he just blast the fountain out of his way?" Harry asked.

"That fountain is made of the stone of Hogwarts," the headmaster replied emphatically. "Every inch of this castle is magically fortified to be impervious to any spell that would destroy ordinary stone. But, just to be certain, I believe we could add a spell or two more. You've wanted to redecorate in here for some time, haven't you Myrtle?"

"Only for about fifty four years," Myrtle huffed.

"Well, there's no time like the present," Dumbledore said pleasantly. He aimed his wand at the base of the fountain and began a spell that slowly transformed the cold stone floor into rich, lush green grass. Huge trees similar to the ones that could be found in the forbidden forest sprung up in place of the toilets and sinks. Flower patches surrounded in rock walls, and long stretches of grass replaced the towel racks and garbage bins. An inviting path of broken stones ran down the center leading from the window at the back of the room to the door that led into the corridor. Only the toilet stall where Myrtle actually died remained the same in the entire room. Everything else had become a beautiful wooded garden glen.

"Well," said Myrtle, "Now that _is_ an improvement!" She smiled from ear to ear as she floated from one corner of the room to the other.

"It's beautiful, sir," Harry agreed, "but how does it help?"

"It's simple, Harry. Every bit of this room is now surrounded in the same protective spell that surrounds this entire castle. The trees and grass and flowers and stones of this garden are simply the physical manifestation of the protective barrier placed upon the room. If I had wanted to, I could have made the barrier entirely invisible…"

"Like the one that surrounds the outside of the castle?" Harry interrupted.

"Yes, exactly, Harry, only this one never comes down to let anyone through. And I do hope that the new decor will help ease the conflict between our caretaker and this room's resident ghost. Wouldn't you agree, Myrtle?"

"Oh, I most certainly do, headmaster, sir! Oh, it's beautiful, sir. Thank you ever so much, sir!" Myrtle gushed.

"You're quite welcome, my dear Myrtle. We should take our leave now, Harry. This entrance is sealed, but if I know Tom Riddle at all, he will not be so easily dissuaded. He will try to enter from another way if he can. I'll need you to do a couple of things for me, please."

"Of course, sir," Harry replied obediently, excited to be asked at last to take some active role in the Dark Lord's defeat.

"If you wouldn't mind too much," the headmaster said with a smile, "I would like you to go and find your head of house and explain as much of this to her as you can. Poor Minerva will be going out of her mind with worry by now."

"Yes sir," Harry said, his spirits falling slightly.

"And then I would like you to assemble the D.A, please, and have them prepared to defend each common room. Place a few extras in Slytherin's house if you would. We have always been a bit short on students from that house who fully understood their own importance to the preservation of this school." Harry smiled proudly as his heart swelled. He indicated with a nod of his head that he would do all that he'd been instructed.

"I must go now, Harry," Dumbledore said. "The Order must be summoned. Thank you for your help. I'll see you in the Great Hall in approximately thirty five minutes."

"O.K," Harry nodded. The headmaster smiled and called for Fawkes, who immediately appeared upon the old wizard's shoulder. An instant later both bird and man were gone and Harry was left in a daze. He shook his head and set off down the corridor in search of a teary eyed Professor McGonagall.


	23. Regrets and Resolutions

**Chapter Twenty Three: Regrets and Resolutions**

"Professor McGonagall," Harry cried as he caught up with her just outside her office door.

"Mr. Potter, shouldn't you be in the hospital wing?" McGonagall said stiffly, her stoic nature carrying her through the grief Harry knew she was feeling.

"I've been sent to give you a message, Professor," Harry said, hoping his tone was comforting without giving away that he knew she'd been crying.

"A message?" she queried him, "From whom?"

"Um…could we go inside your office first, Ma'am?" he suggested.

McGonagall eyed him suspiciously until Harry thought he was discovering what it felt like to be Fred or George after a particularly well-masterminded prank. "Is there some reason why you can't give me this message right here?" she asked.

After seeing Filch impersonated by Pettigrew and now Snape replaced by Lucius Malfoy, Harry couldn't blame his head of house for being suspicious of him now. After all, hadn't she just seen Harry in the infirmary not more than ten minutes ago? And here he was delivering a message to her as though he had no reason at all to be sitting on a hospital bed. Harry sighed and looked around.

"Please, Professor, we need to talk. There isn't much time. We have about fifteen minutes by my best guess before Voldemort attacks the school! Professor Dumbledore asked me to speak to you…"

"P…Pro…Professor Dumbledore asked you…." She looked as though she would faint dead away if Harry so much as breathed on her.

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry cringed as McGonagall raised her wand and pointed it at his chest.

"The headmaster is dead," she stated flatly. "I've just seen it for myself. And I've just seen Harry Potter in the infirmary. So whoever you are, you're not Mr. Potter and I will not speak with you any longer. Finite Incantatum!"

She stared at Harry when her spell failed to produce any result. She tried another spell with which Harry was unfamiliar, but again, nothing happened. "What…how…" she stammered.

"Professor," Harry said exasperatedly as he pulled the time turner from within his robes. Comprehension dawned on the Transfiguration teacher's face and she stared at Harry again, her expression changing from distrust to admiration and…perhaps hope?

Harry sighed with relief and began his explanation, starting from his use of the time turner and completing the tale with the redecorating of Myrtle's bathroom. Professor McGonagall listened intently and was inexplicably enraged by the time Harry was finished.

"So, now that I've delivered the message, Ma'am, I need to go back to the infirmary before my friends miss me and come looking for me," Harry finished.

"And I need to find Albus and give him a piece of my mind," she muttered.

"Professor?" Harry queried.

"Never mind, Potter," McGonagall quickly covered. "You go on and meet your friends back in the infirmary. Do not give them any information about Professor Dumbledore until he tells you himself to do so. Alert the D.A. as he asked you to do, and hurry."

"Yes Ma'am," Harry said, relieved to have completed this first task to which he'd been assigned. He parted ways with his head of house and headed for the hospital wing once again. Just as the double doors covering the entrance to the infirmary came clearly into view a searing pain spread through Harry's forehead, into his neck and shoulders and ricocheted through his nervous system. He clapped both hands on his forehead and collapsed to his knees on the floor, gasping for breath.

"He's here!" he heard his own voice say from within the double doors.

"WHAT?!" came his friends' muffled cry.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ron said.

"What'll we do?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Alert the D.A," his own voice said. "And find someplace to hide. He may already be in the castle."

"What do you mean by, 'find someplace to hide'?" Draco said. "We have to do something. The school is under attack!"

"I have to do something," Harry heard himself respond. "This is my fight!"

"You can't do it alone," Draco warned.

"I can't let anyone else die, either." Harry heard his own footsteps approaching the double doors from within the infirmary. He crawled along the floor and leaned his back against the wall, listening intently.

"Oi," Ron exclaimed, and Harry heard his friend hurrying to catch up, "You're not going anywhere without me!"

"Nor me," Draco agreed.

"And we're coming too," Ginny said. Two more pairs of footsteps approached the door.

"There will be no need for any of you to go anywhere," Harry heard himself argue. That was his cue. He waited ten seconds longer and stood up. As expected he heard his friends groan and sigh.

"When will he ever learn that misery loves company?" Draco asked the others.

"Beats me," Ginny replied. "We've been trying to get him to trust us to help him for as long as we've known him."

"Where do you suppose he's gone?" Ron asked.

"Don't you mean when, Ron?" Hermione said, her voice edged with an impatience Harry recognized from every homework assignment she'd seen him put off till the last minute. "He's probably gone to try to save Dumbledore!"

"How would he do that?" Ron asked her.

"By stopping Dumbledore from going to Malfoy Manor in the first place," Hermione guessed.

"If he does that, there will be nothing to keep him from being hit with that Killing Curse," Draco summed up the problem.

"And it's just like Harry to do something so stupid as that," Ginny said, grief dripping like great drops of blood from her lips.

"And it's just like Dumbledore not to let me," Harry said, stepping in through the infirmary doors.

"HARRY!" Ginny and Hermione exclaimed upon seeing him. Ron and Draco spun in place to face him, their faces twin masks of surprise and relief. Both girls flung themselves on him at once for the second time that night, and Draco laughed wryly.

"It truly sucks to be you, Potter," Draco drawled. "Having girls throw themselves at you on such a regular basis must get so old after a while."

Harry slung one arm around each of the two girls' necks and smiled. "I can't say as I mind."

Hermione chuckled and slid out from under Harry's arm, but Ginny stayed where she was, her arms encircling his waist protectively.

"We need to get moving," Harry informed them. The D.A. should have assembled as much as possible by now. I was wrong before. Voldemort has not yet gained entry into the castle, but he's on the grounds. The D.A. has been asked to secure the common rooms, guarding all possible entrances. Hermione, would you use your coin to tell them to meet in the Room of Requirement if they haven't gone there already? We'll meet them there."

Without another word Hermione pulled her D.A. coin out of her pocket again and performed the charm that would send the message. Then the five of them ascended the nearest stairway to the seventh floor.

"I've always wanted to see the inside of this room, ever since I caught you coming out of it last year," Draco said wistfully. Harry laughed and began pacing in front of the blank wall. The door appeared and the five of them stepped through. Most of the D.A. members were already there, with Neville, Luna, Dean, Seamus, the Creeveys, and Blaise Zabini standing at the forefront. As Harry and Draco walked in, all conversation suddenly stopped and all eyes flew open in surprise.

"We thought they'd taken you," Neville said.

"How did you get away?" Blaise asked.

"Were there any heliopaths at Voldemort's secret compound?" Luna breathed excitedly.

"What's going on now?" Cho cut in, pushing her way through the crowd to get into the room.

"Voldemort and his Death Eaters are in the process of attacking the school," Harry said, forcing his voice to stay calm. "We need to ensure that every student is safely accounted for in each common room and DA members are stationed at every possible entrance for protection. Guard every window, every doorway, and every portrait that might open, even for a house-elf's entry. Don't let anything or anyone in or out once every student in your house is accounted for."

"Should we wait for the rest of the DA to arrive?" Hermione asked.

"There isn't time. We'll find most of them en-route to our common rooms. However, I need some volunteers to help guard the Slytherin common room. There simply aren't enough DA members from Slytherin house to cover every entrance there. Draco, how many would you say we will need?"

"There are twenty seven entrances to guard and we have twenty one DA members in all," Draco responded.

"Then you'll need at least six people," Harry said. He looked around at his friends. Ron and Hermione nodded their assent. Ginny clasped Harry's hand and looked determinedly up at him, and Neville and Luna looked at each other and then back at Harry. Without a word, Harry had his volunteers, counting himself. "That settles it," Harry said.

"Settles what?" Cho asked sounding bewildered.

"Neville, Luna, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and I will help to guard Slytherin house," Harry clarified. "The rest of you, go back to your common rooms and inform any DA members you meet along the way of the assignment. If there are any students missing from your houses besides the six of us, call for Dobby the house elf and give him their names. Then send him to me and I will send him to Professor McGonagall. Is everyone clear on what we need to do?"

"I'm not," said Brittany Maddox as she slipped in through the door, having missed the meeting up to that point.

"Talk to Hannah and Ernie," Harry told her, waving his arm at the two Hufflepuff prefects. "All right, let's go!" Hannah immediately took Brittany under her wing and directed her back out the door, explaining to her as they went. The D.A. members quickly separated and moved toward their common rooms. Harry and his friends followed the Slytherin students quietly down to the dungeons, catching a brief view of the battle that was raging outside of Hogwarts as they passed though the Entrance Hall. Harry saw Hagrid throw three Death Eaters to the ground at once, wielding his pink umbrella like a mighty sword as he stood back to back with Madame Maxime. Harry dragged his eyes away from the scene, worry and fear crowding out any feelings of pride he'd begun to have at seeing Hagrid fight so nobly. He wondered for the thousandth time when this great battle would ever be over and whether Voldemort could ever truly be defeated. The small group of students descended the steps into the dungeons and moved along the corridor toward the Slytherin common room.

"Malfoy, you can side with those losers and die however you want, but we draw the line at bringing them in here!" Vincent Crabbe shook his fist as he and a dozen other Slytherins met Draco and Zabini and their six companions outside their common room entrance.

"Yeah!" Gregory Goyle grunted his agreement. "Go hide out in the Gryffindor common room with them if you want. You and Zabini both! You blood traitors and mudbloods aren't welcome here."

If Draco was fazed by the taunts and threats of his former friends, he didn't show it. He pulled himself up to his greatest height, steeled his expression and stared lazily at Crabbe and Goyle, ignoring the others. "Exactly what reward do you expect to get from the Dark Lord for your most…noble…services?" Draco drawled.

"More than you'll get from the Old Fool for what you've been doing, that's for certain," Crabbe returned.

"Really, you think so, do you? Let's just see then, what has he rewarded his faithful followers with lately? Ah, yes, the Lestranges, apart from Bella, were allowed to rot in Azkaban for six months before the Dark Lord bothered to spring them. And as soon as they were out, sure he gave that idiot his proper head back, but he also tortured the three of them for hours for not succeeding at retrieving the prophecy! He claims all the property and livelihood of each and every Death Eater from the moment they enter into his service, and requires from them a lifetime of slavery, the only escape being death itself. Most of his followers end up dying at his hand if they aren't killed by an auror first. One mistake can mean your life, and will at least result in a Cruciatus Curse coming your way. So you bow down to him if you like, kiss his robes and spread roses under his feet. Give him a manicure for all I care. I've chosen better, I dare say!"

"You've chosen death!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked from the back of the small gathering of Slytherins. "If the Dark Lord doesn't kill you, your own father will!"

"They'll have to find me first, won't they? You idiots go on and join him. He's right outside the front doors by now. I'm sure he will reward you greatly."

"Find you? What trouble will that be?" Crabbe said. "Here you are already. If the Dark Lord is right outside the castle doors, why don't we go and see him together and see who he rewards best, you or me?" Crabbe raised his wand and aimed for Draco. "Petrificus…" he began to say, but before he could finish his spell, eight wands were out and casting spells in abundance. Ninety seconds later, twelve or so Slytherins lay on the floor in various heaps and the eight D.A. members stepped over their prone bodies and made their way into the Slytherin common room.

Upon entering the common room, Harry discovered just what had alerted the Slytherin greeting party to their arrival. The nineteen other D.A. members who had returned to the common room previous to Draco and Blaise were fully engaged in a wand fight with several other Slytherins who were obviously of the same opinion as Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson. Several neutral parties were watching animatedly, some cheering when a particularly stealthy move was pulled off by one side or the other. Harry watched in horror as they battled it out, a pit in his stomach slowly evolving into a churning of molten rock. Rage engulfed him as he watched one of his D.A. students drop to the floor with a nasty hex that left burn marks on his face and singed ends in his hair. The mountain of emotions finally erupted.

"ENOUGH!" Harry shouted. Instantly the fighting stopped and all eyes, at least those whose owners were not petrified or stunned, focused on Harry.

"How'd you get in here, Potter?" One seventh year Slytherin said. "We sent the others to keep you out."

"Get out of our common room," Theodore Nott agreed. "We don't want your lot in here. And take them," he indicated the Slytherin D.A. members with a wave of his thin hand, "with you. They're a disgrace to Slytherin's great name."

"Salazar Slytherin was once a friend of Godric Gryffindor's," Draco reminded them. "He was indeed noble once. It's about time we remembered what made him noble instead of celebrating the actions he took that eventually led to his downfall!"

"What would a traitor like you know of nobility?" Nott replied. Draco glared at him and might have said something, but Harry cut in.

"The fight isn't between Slytherin and Gryffindor anymore. It's between Voldemort," There was a collective gasp, "and me. Whichever of you can take me down in a single shot earns the right to deliver me to your great hero, Voldemort!"

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked warningly.

"I'm settling this," Harry replied. "Come on, you lot, give it your best go!"

Nott raised his wand and squared off with Harry in dueling style. "You'll be sorry you ever set foot in this castle, Potter," Nott declared.

Harry waited until Nott cried out his first spell, "Opponeren Brysan," and then swung into motion, flicking his wand deftly and casting his, "Protego," faster than Nott could duck when his own spell came back at him. The bluish light hit it's originator in the gut and Nott howled in pain and doubled over on the floor.

"Who's next?" Harry cried.

A burly looking fifth year stepped up and kicked Nott aside with a sneer. "I always knew you were just a lot of fancy talk, Nott," he said. "The day a Gryffindor can bring down Marcus Mandura, I'll wear my sisters dress robes in the Great Hall!"

"I'm sure that can be arranged," said Draco. "I hope you look good in pink, Mandura."

Harry eyed the cocky fifth year. He'd never paid much attention to the kid before and wondered when the brute had gotten so big. He waited for the overgrown student to cast his spell, "Expelliarmus," before throwing out his own.

"Protego, Stupefy!" In one fluid motion the two spells left Harry's large opponent sprawled out on the floor, his wand in Harry's hand.

"Anyone else?" Harry grunted angrily. The room had grown quiet during the two short duels, and the rest of the Slytherins seemed unwilling to step forward. "No one? Fine then, will the members of Dumbledore's Army please take your places guarding each entrance and exit into or out of this room? Slytherin prefects, please gather a head count of your entire house, making note of anyone who is not here. You'll find about twelve of your classmates out in the corridor. You, and you," he pointed to two rather large looking boys, "go and get them. Bring them in here as quickly as you can." There was a scurrying as several people began to hastily obey Harry's instructions.

"A very Gryffindor means of handling the situation," Draco critiqued Harry as they stood by the brick wall entrance to the common room watching as the students they'd leveled in the corridor were carried into the room. "But I suppose it worked just the same."

"Yeah, I guess it did for now," Harry said, not quite keeping the worry he felt out of his voice. "I just hope…"

"You hope they don't turn on us at just the wrong moment?" Draco guessed. His face was pulled into a smirk, but there was a definite look in Draco's eyes that seemed to beg forgiveness.

"I…I'm sure we've stunned all the ones who might do that. But…what I was thinking was…I hope the battle never reaches the inside of the school. Do you know anything else about Voldemort's plans?"

"Only that you've already prevented most of his aims for tonight. He may have brought down Dumbledore, but he didn't get you, or me, or Snape, and he probably knows he won't be taking the school by surprise as he had hoped. I'm sure the wards were in place the moment you were reported missing by your friends," Draco cocked his head toward Ron and Hermione who were helping to guard the portrait entrances at the far end of the room. "Not to mention the whole Imperious parchment potion thing never even had a chance to happen because of you."

"I wonder where Umbridge and her fan club got off to," Harry said. "Seems they're no where to be found. What was their part in this great plan, besides to administer that test?"

"They were supposed to let Voldemort in through the Chamber entrance," Draco said, his face going a bit pale. "I assumed Dumbledore would take care of them, but if he went to Malfoy Manor before he did it…"

"Then they'll be buried in the Chamber right now. Dumbledore did manage to seal the Chamber's entrance tonight."

Draco was looking oddly at Harry as though sizing him up. "Half an hour ago, for me at least, you were bawling your eyes out because Dumbledore was killed in front of you. Now you're talking about him as though he has simply gone on vacation for a little while. What happened when you used that time turner?"

"Nothing much," Harry evaded. "I didn't convince Dumbledore not to go and save me, if that's what you're wondering about."

"Why not? I mean, you didn't just give up and let him go off to his death, that much I'm certain of," Draco pressed. "What is it you're not telling anyone?"

"You'll find out later," Harry sighed.

"Whatever," Draco relented reluctantly. He fell silent as the next pair of stunned Slytherins was hauled in through the faux brick wall, but he kept his eyes trained on Harry for a few minutes longer as though the answer might lie in Harry's schooled features. Harry shifted nervously under Draco's searching gaze and turned to focus on the two boys who were dragging a limp Millicent Bullstrode through the entrance with some measure of difficulty.

"That's all of them," one of the boys said to Harry as he puffed and wheezed under Millicent's weight.

"That was only nine," Harry replied.

"That's all that was out there," the other gasped as he dropped Millicent's feet to the floor.

"Oh that's nice," the first said as he sank to the floor trying not to drop the girl's head quite as disgracefully as his assistant had done her feet. He heaved her body to his left and struggled to get out from under her.

"Who's missing then?" Harry asked as he scanned the faces of the students now lying in a row in the middle of the floor.

"Vince, Gregory, and Pansy," Draco answered for him.

"What'd they get hit with?" Harry asked.

"I stunned all three of them myself," Draco replied.

"You two didn't enervate them did you?" Harry asked the two boys.

"No way," the one who'd dropped Millicent's feet said. "They'd've hexed us for helping you if we had!"

"Someone had to have done it, though," Draco pressed angrily.

"I swear, it wasn't us," said the one who'd been more careful with Millicent's head. "These were all that were out there from the start. It had to have been someone out there, a teacher or something."

"The teachers are all out on the grounds defending the castle," Harry shook his head. "Unless Peeves knows how to use a wand, which I greatly doubt, it would seem either your father or Umbridge or both didn't make it into the Chamber before Dumbledore sealed it."

Their conversation was cut short then by a tremendous crashing sound from above their heads. Harry and Draco looked at each other and seemed to come to the same conclusion without any discussion necessary.

"Zabini," Harry called, "come guard the front entrance. Ron, you and Hermione will have to guard all three of those portraits."

"Where are you going now?" Ron asked irritably.

"To find out what's going on outside," Draco answered for Harry. "Father and Umbridge are still unaccounted for. They could still be in the castle for all we know, and might even find a way to let the Death Eaters in."

"You're not going anywhere without us," Ron said stubbornly. "You," he called to a couple of students who looked as if they were in their second or third year, "you both know how to stun, don't you? And you, yeah, you with the big eyes and black jumper, I'll bet you can say 'Stupefy,' can't you?" The students he'd spoken to nodded wide eyed. "Get over here, then, one to each of these portraits. The moment anything begins to open one from the other side, stun them. You got that?" The three young Slytherins nodded again and stared up into Ron's reddened face. Hermione looked worriedly from the students to Ron to Harry and Draco, but shrugged her shoulders and followed when Ron stomped across the room to stand next to Harry.

"We've been with you in this since we all first met on the train, Harry," Ron said, quelling Harry's rising protest. "There's no reason to leave us out now. Let's go." As though to punctuate Ron's statements, Ginny strode forward and crossed her arms defiantly in front of herself, her expression clearly indicating her intention to go along as well.

Harry mimicked Hermione's defeated shrug and said, "Neville, Luna, and Blaise, you're in charge here until we return." Then he turned to lead the way out of the Slytherin common room and ran straight into a solid brick wall. "What? Malfoy, what's the matter with this thing?"

Draco busted out laughing. "You're not a Slytherin. You can't enter or exit through that doorway without a Slytherin to lead you through," he explained between his gales of laughter.

"All right, wise guy, you go first then," Harry grunted. Draco sucked in a deep breath to still his chortling and placed his palm flat on the brick wall. It melted away and he stepped through. Harry stood staring for a moment until Draco poked his head back through the wall.

"Are you all coming, or did you decide to let me go solo for once?" Draco goaded them. Harry smirked, placed the palm of his own hand on the top of Draco's head and shoved him back through, then followed after him. As he, Ron and Hermione stepped into the corridor, Draco smoothed his fringe back into place and glared at Harry.

"Careful with the hair, Potter," the blonde boy scolded.

It was a golden opportunity to tease Draco for his over awareness of his own appearance, but Harry let it pass, feeling the seriousness of the situation now that they were out in the corridor and could hear the sounds of the battle as it raged above them. It was obvious from the crashing, clanking and echoing that the battle had reached the Entrance Hall and that the suits of armor that lined the walls of the corridors had joined the fray. Harry began to creep slowly toward the stairs. He could feel better than hear the others as they followed. Their hearts thumped in their chests so loudly that Harry began to fear the combatants above them would hear it. They kept to the shadows as they tiptoed up the dungeon steps and peered into the embattled Hall. Harry immediately spotted Remus Lupin warring with Lucius Malfoy, and Malfoy's presence gave rise to the deduction that he had helped the Death Eaters enter the castle. He spotted Umbridge then, standing shoulder to shoulder with Bellatrix Lestrange, fighting against Professor McGonagall and the real Professor Snape.

Impressed as he was with his teachers' fighting prowess, Harry could not suppress the dread that was rising with each moment that he watched. He flinched each time a spell was cast at someone he knew and cared about, and silently sighed each time one of them successfully dodged. He cast a glance over his shoulder and found that his friends were just as enthralled as he was. He saw Ginny cringe, Ron shrink backward further into the shadows and Hermione grab hold of Ron's forearm. Draco stood transfixed, staring in a single direction, and upon following his gaze, Harry figured out why.

There, in the middle of the Hall, red eyes full of a fiery rage, stood Voldemort himself, his pale, tightly pulled skin revealing the bulging veins of a man both angry and viciously convinced of his impending victory. The great and terrible wizard leveled his wand at Dedalus Diggle, shouted out his spell and laughed triumphantly as the green light of his killing curse dropped the courageous Order member to the floor. Harry's heart sank miserably for a moment until realization dawned on him. There was no pain in his scar. There wasn't a single twinge.

He moved carefully and silently toward Hermione and whispered almost inaudibly, "I don't think that's him!"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her incredulity evident despite her muffled tone.

"My scar, it doesn't hurt! That can't be Voldemort if my scar doesn't hurt!"

"Sure looks like the Old Snake to me," Ron muttered under his breath.

"But Harry's right. That isn't him, or Harry's scar would hurt. But it did hurt before, didn't it? When they got here?"

"It did, and I was even convinced at the time that they were already in the castle. But then I learned that Dumbledore had sealed the chamber before they arrived, and that they were actually out on the grounds. I think…I'm not certain, I mean…"

"Get to the point would you?" Draco whispered irritably as he continued to stare at the wizard in question.

"It's just, I don't think Voldemort came here at all tonight," Harry replied. "He meant to, but when we escaped Malfoy Manor and destroyed the test parchments, his plan got all fowled up. He couldn't cancel the plan to attack, or he'd lose face in front of his Death Eaters. But he couldn't come and not succeed, either. So he did what any corrupt leader does in such a situation. He stayed behind."

"Why would he do that?" Ginny whispered.

"Because," Harry surmised, "if the Death Eaters don't win, he can blame it on their own stupidity, say it was their inability and not his plan or leadership that was the reason they didn't prevail."

"Why'd he send a double, then?" Ron asked.

"Because if they do win," Harry said "he gets to claim full credit for having led them to victory. He'll simply dispose of whoever is posing as him so that they won't ever know that he wasn't there. He probably has that guy under a really strong Imperious Curse to make him behave and sound like himself. If they do lose, he'll reveal to them all that this guy was given the great honor of leading the Death Eaters, like a second in command type position, but failed, and he will kill him anyway."

Draco had finally stopped staring at the Voldemort look-alike and was now staring wide eyed and pale faced at Harry as though Harry's words had stunned him. "If ever I'd had a second thought about returning to my father and his ways," he breathed, "that alone is enough to convince me not to do it. That guy's dead either way, and he's probably standing there expecting some grand reward!"

Harry gave Draco a sympathetic smile and returned his attention to the battle that was raging before them. "I expect they got into the chamber from the outside, Voldemort thought he was home free and sent the message that they were inside the castle to me through the link in my scar, taunting me with what he supposed was his victory. When they discovered the entrance was sealed and they could not break through, they came out the other way and began the fight out on the grounds where they are far more vulnerable. But they couldn't leave here without fighting, or they'd have been forfeiting their lives to him."

"So what do we do now?" Ginny asked, effectively returning their focus to the current situation. "How do we make sure they don't win?" she specified unnecessarily.

"We give them something they aren't expecting," Harry said. "And I say we give it Peeves style."

"Peeves?" Ron asked bewilderedly.

"Yeah, like this," Harry said with a genuine smile, and he whipped out his wand. He aimed at the chain that held one of the grand chandeliers in the Entrance Hall and whispered the severing charm. With a crash, the chandelier successfully leveled three Death Eaters in one go. The Order members shrieked and jumped back as though expecting the chandelier to spring at them next. Harry flattened himself against the wall of the stairwell to be sure he was fully hidden in the shadows and stifled a snigger. The others grinned mischievously and aimed at other strategic objects in the room. The great marble statues, the staircase railing, and the cut and dried flowers decorating the greeter's tables along the walls suddenly came inexplicably to life, throwing themselves into the battle. Soon the tables and chairs were joining the show and the confused and befuddled Death Eaters were staring around the Hall looking for the source of this odd brand of magic.

"What ails these crazy flowers?" one Death Eater cried as he tried to bat away the dehydrated foliage.

"Aargh," another grunted as he found himself wrapped in the self-empowered end of the staircase railing.

"Master, what is this magic?" another called out as he ran from the desk drawer that had been bewitched to continually project itself toward his head.

The distraction seemed to give the Order just the advantage they needed. As though they were given a silent command, they all raised their wands at once and aimed at the front doors. A broad streak of blue light connected with the doors and sealed them closed. In an instant the room was dark, pitch black, until another spell filled the room with a great ring of brilliant red light. Harry saw the Death Eaters begin to fall to the floor before the room was plunged into darkness again. When the candles of the chandeliers overhead flickered to life once more with their golden flames, the five friends found themselves surrounded by a dozen stern, though relieved, faces.

"Exactly what do you kids think you're doing?" Remus asked, his eyes resting firmly on Harry's.

"Helping?" Hermione suggested weakly.

Harry said nothing but stared back at Remus defiantly.

"Goodness knows you needed the help," Ron defended Hermione's answer.

"Is that so?" Moody growled at Ron, both his magical and his real eyes fixed on the redheaded miscreant. "I believe you were all told to remain in your common rooms, isn't that so, Professor McGonagall?"

"It most certainly is so," McGonagall said, her lips barely moving as they were pulled into the thinnest line Harry had ever seen them make. "You should not have been anywhere near this battle! What were you thinking, coming in here and causing a distraction like that?"

"They…they were…in the castle, Professor…they killed Diggle…they…."

"Yes, Miss Granger," McGonagall said as she stared down her nose at the girl, "they were, and we led them in here on purpose. It was our intention to capture the lot."

"Well, we did do that at least," Remus sighed. "But if one of them had seen you, they might have been able to hold you hostage. What could we have done then? We couldn't have risked any harm to you and they'd have gotten away, and could possibly have taken you with them."

"It's not as though we stood out in the middle of the floor," Harry defended himself and his friends.

"And how long would it have been before they noticed the angle of the spells that were charming the objects in the room?" Remus scolded. "We had hoped to unmask our Voldemort imposter to the rest of the Death Eaters, show them just how courageous their leader truly is, but we had to move forward quickly with the stunner when we realized what was going on."

"You should've known you couldn't hide from ol' Mad-Eye," Tonks chided them, and Harry's face reddened as he realized the Order probably knew they were there from the moment they stepped out of the Slytherin common room.

"You mean you knew he was an imposter?" Hermione asked in an awed voice.

"Of course we knew," Moody barked, and Hermione flinched slightly. "After all these years of fighting that monster, don't you think we'd know our enemy by now? It's not just his looks and mannerisms, mind you. Every move that Snake makes, the way his mind works, is all familiar to us."

"And it didn't hurt that McGonagall scanned him for any trace of Morphus Draft in his blood and he came up teaming with it!" Lupin cut in. Moody glared ferociously at him, but Remus ignored him. "The point is, Harry, you have got to learn to trust the Order to do the job they're called upon to do. Fighting Death Eaters is our sworn duty. Yours, within Dumbledore's Army, is the protection of the student body. We did our job tonight. But you abandoned your post out of curiosity and perhaps in search of a bit of glory for having helped in the fight."

"That's not fair," Harry shouted, "We came here out of concern for all of you as well as the students. If Death Eaters had entered the school because Umbridge and Malfoy had let them in, we needed to be aware of it!"

"Do you really believe Dumbledore would leave those two hanging about the castle after their plan was so commendably discovered by you kids?" Lupin asked. Harry studied his feet and sighed. "He locked them in the Chamber to wait for their master's arrival," Remus continued. "And he gave us leave to lure them in here for the trap. It's a shame poor Dedalus got hit, but we all knew the risks involved when we signed up as members of the Order. You kids, however, have no business taking on such risks before you're even of age, with no thought toward your parents or others who care very much for you and are here doing this for the express purpose of providing for you a better and safer existence. What reason do we have for risking our lives if the very people we're protecting throw themselves into danger anyway?"

Harry had not felt so low since the day he watched Sirius fall through the veil of death at the Department of Mysteries. He knew Remus was right, that he had wanted some part in the fight more than he was truly concerned about the safety of the students. He had once again risked his friends' lives and marched into the middle of things, heedless of the consequences. He thought he'd learned something about responsibility last year. Now he knew he had deluded himself into believing he had to play the major role in the defeat of Voldemort, that he alone could stop this battle and save Hogwarts.

The words of the Sorting Hat's song at the beginning of the year played through his mind, "To be united is to heed the call. To be divided is to let this school fall." And he knew he had not, in this instance, acted in unity with the order, but had, as Lupin said, abandoned his post out of curiosity and the desire to join the fight and win some glory. Last year's mistake had been one anyone could have made, given Voldemort's aptitude for the art of persuasion. But this mistake had been his own doing, and once again, he'd led his friends, even Ginny, into harm's way. His confidence shattered and his pride tarnished, Harry wished with all his heart that he could just fall into a black abyss and disappear forever. He even felt as though his feet were sinking slowly through the step on which he stood.

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered, utterly defeated. "I'm so dreadfully sorry. I swear, it won't ever happen again." With heavy footsteps, he pushed his way past Tonks and Lupin and weaved his way through the fallen witches and wizards in the Hall. He stopped for a moment as he came upon the Voldemort imposter and glared down at the man. A tear began to make its way down his cheek, but he hastily brushed it away and dragged himself up the stairs toward the Gryffindor common room. He barely registered his friends and teachers shouting something at him as he whispered the password to the fat lady and stepped in through the portrait hole.

Suddenly he found himself in the path of what seemed like a hundred streams of red light at once. He realized his mistake at about the same moment that Dean, Seamus, Colin, and Dennis realized who they'd stunned, but in that instant, the red light connected with Harry's chest, shoulder, left leg and right arm, and he collapsed to the floor.


	24. The Infirmary Duel

**Chapter Twenty Four: The Infirmary Duel**

"Enervate," someone said, and Harry felt life flowing into his veins once more, but he did not open his eyes. He had no desire to do so. He was quite convinced that the world would be a better place if he could just keep his eyes closed.

"Enervate," came Professor McGonagall's worried voice, and Harry groaned and rolled over on his side, squeezing his eyes tight against the light that threatened to penetrate his lids.

"Oh come on, Harry," he heard Ginny say irritably. "It's not the end of the world. We all made the same mistake you did. Quit sulking!"

"You wouldn't have done anything if it hadn't been for me," Harry said sullenly without opening his eyes, his face pressed into the pillow, muffling his voice.

"Well aren't you the prideful prick," Draco sneered. "Saint Potter controls the actions and destinies of all who cross his path. Get off it, Potter. We all went, and we all interfered with the Order. And we all made our own choices."

Harry turned slightly and peered at Draco through one eye while keeping the other buried in the pillow. "Well you sure know how to cheer a person up, don't you! Does that usually work for you, throwing out insults and all?"

Draco grinned mischievously and drawled, "Well, since you're such a _special_ case, I made an exception to my normally congenial disposition."

Harry smirked in spite of himself and tossed his pillow at Malfoy. Caught off guard, the fluffy thing caught Draco square in the face and he staggered backward slightly.

"Oh, yeah, you've got the reflexes of a true seeker there!" Harry teased. "Perhaps if we made the snitch as big as that pillow you could even catch it before me next year!"

"O.K, that's over the line," Malfoy warned, his eyes flashing dangerously, even as the corners of his mouth twitched with the effort to keep from laughing. "You're going to get creamed for that one!" Malfoy whipped out his wand and cast a quick water charm, dousing Harry thoroughly.

"Aaaahhrrrg!" Harry shouted as he jumped up off the dripping bed and onto his feet in a single motion. "Where's my wand?"

"Right here, Harry," Ron said, picking it up off the night stand and handing it to him.

"All right, Malfoy, you asked for it!" Harry yelled as he aimed, "Ferula Totalis!" Bandages flew out of Harry's wand and began to wrap themselves around Draco's entire body, one limb at a time.

Ron doubled over with laughter. "It's Mummy Malfoy!" he gasped. Hermione and Ginny snickered.

"If you think that's funny, try this one on for size," Draco said and he aimed his wand at Ron who was now clutching his stomach on the floor. "Reticulata Inculcare," he cried, and Ron was suddenly covered from head to toe in a checkerboard pattern. "There," Draco sneered, "Now we can play chess on your face!"

"WHAT?!" Ron yelled as he ran to the nearest mirror and gaped at his reflection. "Oh now you're really asking for it!"

Ron pulled his own wand from his pocket and said quite calmly, "Missionus loo!" Draco was suddenly pulled backward into the infirmary bathroom, which was quite small. As soon as he was in, the door slammed shut.

"Very funny, Weasley. Now let me out of here," Draco called.

"Where did you learn that spell?" Harry asked between peels of laughter.

"From my mum, of course," Ron replied. "Anyone who grows up in a wizarding family knows that one!"

"It's how witches toilet train their kids, Harry," Ginny explained. "Mum would watch for us to show signs of needing to go, then flick her wand at us and we'd be stuck in there until we did our business!"

"So, then, Malfoy's stuck in there until…" Harry looked from Ginny to Ron.

"Until he uses the toilet, yeah," Ginny confirmed. Harry rolled on the floor and clutched his stomach as he laughed heartily. Hermione, though making a show of her disapproval of their sparring in the infirmary, chuckled somewhat as she stood behind Ron and Ginny and raised her eyebrows at the closed bathroom door.

"Aw, come on," Draco whined, "let me out."

"Can't," Ron chuckled, "There's no counter spell except to pee and flush, Malfoy. Surely you know that!"

"You wanna make a bet?" Malfoy shouted, and Harry and Ron looked at each other worriedly. "Wizmatta," they heard the Slytherin say, and instantly the toilet flushed and the door opened.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ron said, utterly astonished.

"My nanny tried that on me when I was three," Draco drawled. "Father had to hire a new nanny after that!"

"They let you have a wand when you were three?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Of course they did," Draco replied as though it were the most natural thing in the world for a three year old to cast spells on a regular basis, never mind the underage wizardry statutes. "Malfoy Manor is protected by all kinds of spells, some of which shield the estate from the prying eyes of the Ministry. That's why You-Know-Who likes it so well as a hide out right now."

"So you were doing magic at home every summer?" Ginny asked jealously.

"For as long as I can remember," Draco said haughtily.

"Fat lot of good it did you," Harry chided. "I can out-duel you any day, and I didn't even know I was a wizard until I was eleven."

"Oh, you think so, Potter? Why don't you give it a try, then?"

"He already did," Hermione reminded them both. "He skunked you twice in D.A. practices, as did I." She pursed her lips in a perfect imitation of Professor McGonagall.

"I let you win on purpose all those times," Draco argued. "I had to make you think you were in control of things or you might have turned me out."

"All right then," Harry said. He settled himself into a dueling stance; his feet planted firmly, the right slightly in front of the left, his shoulders squared. "Let's go, you and me."

"Aren't you going to call a second?" Draco asked slyly.

"What? Why?" Harry was baffled.

"In any proper duel, each dueler has a second, to take over if he gets injured or killed," Draco explained condescendingly, "Who's your second?"

"Fine then, Ron can be my second," Harry said irritably.

"Great, then I choose Ginny," Draco smiled wickedly.

"WHAT?!" Harry exclaimed, alarmed. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?" Draco shrugged and tilted his head to the side. "Are you afraid to fight your girlfriend, Potter? You think she might be quicker than you?"

"I know she's quicker than me," Harry admitted, "and smarter too. Besides, I couldn't possibly hex her…"

"All the better as insurance for me," Draco drawled lazily. "Shall we then?"

"You slimy little cockroach!" Harry said between gritted teeth.

"Go on, give it your best shot, Potter!" Draco goaded him.

"Petrificus Totalis," Harry shouted.

"Protego, Furnunculous!" Draco returned.

"Protego, Expelliarmus!"

"Protego, Mestalis!"

"Pro…aargh!" Harry's shield was not quite fast enough and he found himself suddenly encased in bronze-like armor, minus the hinges, unable to move a muscle.

"Ah, there you have it, I win," Draco praised himself. "Will the second step forward or concede?"

"I wouldn't concede to you if my life depended on it, Malfoy," Ron bellowed. Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped further away from the line of fire.

"You're going to get us all into trouble again," she warned.

"Lighten up, Granger, it's just a spot of fun," Draco sneered.

"Ferrous Incarcerous," Ron shouted, and Draco was caught off guard, his attention having been diverted by Hermione's warning, and he was suddenly locked behind the heavy bars of an iron cage.

"You have a real fetish for bondage, haven't you," Draco smirked at Ron teasingly. "You better be careful with this one, Granger."

Hermione visibly bristled at the insinuation Draco was making and raised her wand. "That does it, I'm going to silence that wicked tongue of yours! Quietus Totalis!" Draco fell backward clutching his throat and coughing silently. His eyes began to water with the effort to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, he sat glaring at Hermione from behind the bars of Ron's conjured jail cell.

"What the devil is going on in here?" Madame Pomfrey shrieked as she charged into the infirmary through the double doors. She took in the students, Draco wrapped in bandages and trapped in an iron cage, Ron's skin, clothes, hair, and all covered in a red and black checkerboard pattern, and Harry encased in bronze-like metal. She strode directly over to the fireplace, tossed in a handful of green powder, and stuck her head in.

"Headmaster," she called, "you're assistance, please!"

Ron, Draco, Hermione and Ginny looked at each other in confusion. Harry sighed from within his bronze confinement.

"What seems to be the problem, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked kindly as he stepped out of the fireplace and looked around the room. "Ah, I see. Thank you for calling it to my attention, Madame Pomfrey. I think perhaps leaving them just as they are is the best punishment we could give them. Miss Granger and Miss Weasley, will you kindly stay with them and release them from their various fixes in two hours time?" The headmaster turned away from the astonished students and stepped back into the fire. With a flash of green flame he was gone again, and Harry's friends stood staring at the fireplace, ashen faced and bug-eyed.

"What? Who? How…?" Ron stammered and he turned to look at the bronze statue that was Harry.

"He never went to Malfoy Manor in the first place," Harry explained. Each word echoed in his ears within his encasement, and he groaned, knowing they would want a full explanation now.

"What do you mean he never went? He died; we all saw him," Hermione asked predictably.

"Don't tell me it was another double!" Ginny exclaimed, shaking her head with disbelief.

"That's exactly what it was," Harry said. He tried to nod, but ended up clunking his head on the nose-bridge of the brass statue surrounding him. "Hermione, can't you get me out of this thing?"

"Sorry, Harry. I really don't know how!" Hermione responded. "I'll have to ask Madame Pomfrey for help, and I'm quite certain she won't give it until those two hours are up."

There was a clanging noise from the other side of the room and Hermione turned around to look toward the sound. Harry tried to peer around her bushy hair to see what was up, but could not bend sufficiently to see anything but brown curls.

"What was that, Malfoy?" Hermione taunted. "I'm sorry, I just can't hear you." She finally moved out of Harry's line of sight as she moved closer to Draco's cage. "You need to go to the restroom now?" she mocked him. "I guess you should have taken advantage of that chance when you had it! I guess it's going to be a long two hours for you, then, isn't it." Ron and Ginny were laughing their heads off at this, but Harry frowned. He knew exactly how Malfoy felt! And it really was going to be a very long two hours.

"So, what ever happened to those three missing Slytherins?" Harry asked the others to distract himself from the growing urgency in his loins. He saw Draco point toward the far end of the hospital wing, and though Harry could not see what was over there, he got the general idea.

"Apparently Dobby found the Slytherins in the corridor before you sent those two boys out to get them," Ginny further explained. "He started bringing them here, but had only moved those three before the others were brought into the Slytherin common room."

"Dobby?" Harry muttered. "How is it that I never even thought of that when I was the one who instructed the D.A. to tell Dobby to report to me about missing students? He was probably on his way to make his report when he came across the Slytherins we leveled!"

"I expect that's what happened in a nutshell," Ginny agreed. "But I really think Lupin was awfully harsh on you, Harry. I thought you were both brave and thoughtful to try to help the Order. It was just an honest mistake."

"No, he was right," Harry sighed miserably. "I have…what did you call it last year, Hermione? A saving people thing, I think you said."

Hermione sighed as well. "But that's exactly what we all love so much about you, Harry! You're noble and brave. If any one of us were in a scrape, we know you would be there to help us get out of it. And we just want to do the same for you. We just have to be more willing to follow orders next time, that's all."

"Hermione," Harry said quietly, "You're really something! Do you know that?"

"We all know that, Harry," Ron piped up proudly, and Hermione grinned bashfully.


	25. Going Home

**Chapter Twenty Five: Going Home**

Harry stood listlessly, waiting at Hogsmeade Station with his friends for the approaching Hogwarts Express. One more summer, and this time, no Dursleys, but somehow that thought didn't cheer him as it should have. Instead of being at number four Privet Drive, he'd be spending the entire summer at number twelve Grimmauld Place. He, Draco, Hermione, her parents, Ron and Ginny, their parents, and the Order would all be staying at number twelve Grimmauld Place, and it was going to be one heck of a summer. At least the food would be better this year, with Mrs. Weasley around to cook. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione and observed them critically. They seemed fully engrossed in something in Ron's hand. Something Draco had said months ago popped into Harry's head then. "Hiding something…almost in the palms of your hands…."

"Oi," Harry called out, and Ron and Hermione's heads instantly popped up to look at him. Harry did not miss that Ron's hand flew gracefully behind his back.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked a little too brightly.

"What's got you two so jumpy?" Harry asked. He almost laughed as both of his best friends began speaking at once.

"We're not jumpy," Ron said.

"Oh, it's nothing, Harry," Hermione said.

"It's not nothing, and you are definitely jumpy," Harry countered them. "What are you hiding behind your back, Ron?"

"Hiding…? Why would you say that, Harry?" Ron looked extremely nervous now. Hermione just rolled her eyes and waved her hand in front of Ron to indicate that he should just go ahead and show him. Ron sighed and peered at Harry worriedly. "I dunno, mate. You're going to laugh!"

"If I promise not to laugh will you just show me?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Oh, go on, Ronald, it's not that big of a secret. He knows we were thinking about it anyway." Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest and scowled disapprovingly.

"What?" Ron bristled. "You wanted to keep it secret as much as I did, Mione! Don't act like it's all my fault now."

"Just show him," Hermione huffed, and Ron, deprived of the distraction a row would cause, turned to Harry and opened his palm. There, imprinted into the skin of his hand was a symbol that seemed oddly familiar to Harry.

"What is that?" Harry asked as he ran a finger over Ron's palm.

"Well, it's not my lifeline, Professor Trelawney," Ron mocked him.

"Obviously," Harry grunted, his impatience getting the better of him.

"It's the Ptolemy Signet," Draco Malfoy said as he approached from behind Harry's back. Harry jumped, startled, and glared at Draco.

"First of all, don't scare me like that," Harry breathed heavily. "Secondly, what do you know about Ptolemy bonds?"

Draco ignored Harry's first statement, and smirked widely at the second. "Ptolemy bonds are rather popular among the pure-blooded segment of the wizarding world. It's almost automatic in any wizard's wedding that the bride and groom receive the Signet at the end of the wedding ceremony." Draco eyed Ron appraisingly and cooed, "Your Mum's going to just love that little trinket, isn't she! How do you intend to explain that one? Battle scar? Accident? Do you think she'll believe you?"

"I don't intend for her to ever find out," Ron growled at Draco, "And I'll pulverize anyone who tells her! Is that clear, Malfoy?"

"Whoa, whoa, no need to get all hot and bothered there, mate. I was just kidding around!" Draco sneered in a less than apologetic fashion.

"I'm not your mate, Malfoy!" Ron said defiantly.

"I'm hurt, truly I am," Malfoy whined.

"Oh, cut it out you guys," Harry interjected, his interest in the Signet piqued. "Tell me about how you got that! Ginny and I don't have anything like that."

"That's because your bond happened spontaneously," Hermione explained as though it were a classroom subject. "This is part of the ritual we looked up in the library. This tattoo is the physical manifestation of the link between us." She held up her own palm for Harry to inspect her matching scar. "Mine is the same except for his name." She pointed to a spot that read, "Ronald Billius Weasley."

Harry looked more closely at Ron's hand and found Hermione's name inscribed as, "Hermione Jane Granger-Weasley."

"Granger-Weasley?" Harry asked incredulously, staring at the two of them quizzically. "You two didn't go and get…."

"No, Harry," Hermione sighed, and Ron turned as pale as a ghost. "We didn't get married or anything. But the ritual is set up to operate between two people who are married. We had to tweak it a little to make it work."

"You had to take his name?" Harry guessed, amused.

"Yeah," Ron responded, a grin spreading across his reddening face.

"And Ronald sort of…likes…the sound of it," Hermione grinned as well, her own cheeks beginning to burn rather brightly.

Harry laughed in spite of himself. Draco was already clutching his stomach. When Ginny came over from chatting with Neville and Luna and asked what was going on, the two boys could barely contain themselves. Ginny gazed unaffectedly at Hermione and Ron's opened palms and sighed.

"I think it's very sweet, myself. I wish I had something like that to tell all the other Harry-worshipers out there that he's officially off the market!" Harry stopped laughing instantly and stared at her with wide eyes, his head not quite connected to his neck suddenly.

"Off…off the…" he stammered, blinking furiously as though his eyes had the sole job of absorbing this shocking piece of information.

"You told me so yourself," Ginny reminded him with a slightly affronted look on her face. "You said, and I quote, 'I'm going to marry you someday, if I am fortunate enough to live that long.'"

It was Harry's turn to blush. He'd meant that when he said it, but he'd never intended for Ron and Draco to hear it. Still, as embarrassing as he thought it should have been, the words just sounded right to him. He smiled through his burning cheeks and replied, "And you said you're going to say yes when I ask." Ginny's smile seemed to illuminate her entire being. She threw her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him.

"I am going to be physically sick if you Gryffindors don't quit with the mushy stuff!" Draco complained.

"Malfoy," Hermione smiled mischievously, "Isn't that Parvati over there? I think she's coming this way even." Draco whirled around, a stupid grin throwing itself on his face before he had begun to move. Parvati was indeed making her way over, and waving as she came.

"Hi," she said as she stood in front of him.

"Hi," he returned. Neither said anything more, but moved off toward the platform hand in hand as the train came into sight. Harry and his friends laughed lightly as they watched the two go.

"Now there's one thing that all Gryffindors and Slytherins have in common," Ginny said. "No one is immune to love."

"No one but Voldemort, and those who've been irreparably affected by him," Harry amended.

"Voldemort has never felt love, Harry," Ginny argued, "but that doesn't mean he's immune to it. Heaven only knows how love would affect him if it ever happened to cross his path."

"I dunno, Gin," Ron stepped in. "I can't exactly see the Old Snake settling down with a wife and children, if you know what I mean."

"No, of course not," Ginny replied. "Love is probably the one power that can truly destroy Voldemort. Because he has never felt it, he could not abide it if it came his way."

"I don't think we're going to be able to convince someone to fall in love with Voldemort in order to destroy him," Harry said. "So how exactly do we use that sort of power against him?"

"I don't know," Ginny sighed. "It was just a theory, anyway."

"And a good one," Harry smiled soothingly, "if only love could be cast from a wand."

"Should we feed him a love potion?" Ron asked jokingly as they stepped onto the train car and began to search for a suitable compartment to share.

"Love potions only create an imitation of the loving emotions," Hermione reviewed as though it had been a question on a test. "They cannot have the same effect on a person as the real thing."

"I was joking, Hermione," Ron groused, and Harry and Ginny glanced at each other, waiting for the row to begin.

"Yes, I know that, Ronald," Hermione bit back, "I was only explaining…"

"Look, let's not fight about it," Ron softened suddenly. "Don't get all upset."

"I am not upset," Hermione shouted.

"Hermione, I know when you're upset, remember?" Ron shouted back, holding his hand out, palm up. The Signet was bright red and looked slightly painful.

"I take it back," Ginny said, "I don't want one of those." Harry nodded his agreement.

Hermione sighed and sat down heavily. Ron sat beside her and put an arm lovingly around her. They sat and stared into each others eyes for a while, and Harry guessed they were discussing it in the privacy of their minds. He smiled at them and put his own arm around Ginny. They leaned back in their seats and closed their eyes. Things were going to be a lot quieter between those two from now on, Harry thought, and Ginny heartily agreed.

The End


End file.
